When Raphael Varane made a rock star's entrance ahead of Manchester United's season opener against Leeds United at Old Trafford last August, it was impossible to count the number of supporters who had whipped out their phones to take a photograph of the club's newest recruit.
United had landed one of the best central defenders in the world, who arrived in England equipped with a winning mentality after a trophy-laden decade at Real Madrid, winning 18 major honours. It was a statement of intent and it was hoped the Frenchman would be the world-class partner Harry Maguire had been looking for.
It was impossible to imagine at the time that United would go on to experience their worst campaign defensively since the 1978/79 season, shipping 69 goals in all competitions. Unsurprisingly, a defensive record like that resulted in the club ending the campaign with their worst-ever points tally in the Premier League era.
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Had Varane been fit all season it might have been different. The 29-year-old experienced a stop-start campaign, regularly being forced to miss out through injury and illness. He made just 29 appearances in all competitions - his lowest tally since a knee injury restricted him to just 23 outings during the 2013/14 season.
United desperately missed his presence, conceding four or more goals on five occasions without him in the Premier League, including in the 4-0 and 5-0 defeats byLiverpool. To say those results would not have happened had Varane been fit is impossible, but surely it is no coincidence that United's heaviest defeats happened when they were without their star defender?
He also missed the hammerings at the hands of Leicester City (4-2), Manchester City (4-1) and Watford (4-1). His importance to United defensively cannot be ignored. The Reds conceded 32 goals in 16 Premier League games without Varane last term, compared to the 25 they conceded in 22 games with him. It is still an unconvincing record that needs to be improved, but the stats don't lie - United are better with Varane on the pitch.
It should be among new manager Erik ten Hag's leading priorities to try and keep Varane fit this forthcoming campaign. The centre-back, who is 29, is not at a stage in his career where regular injury issues ought be hampering his progress, especially when they have not been a frequent nuisance throughout his career. He played 40+ matches in almost every season throughout his Madrid career.
What was all the more frustrating about Varane's injury issues last season was the frequency of them. As soon as he recovered from one, another one would pop up not too far down the line into his return. His longest sequence of consecutive Premier League appearances stood at just eight.
Not only did that disrupt Varane's adaptation to United and English football, but it also denied the team from having a settled defence. It is impossible to form a strong defensive line when it is constantly being chopped and changed to accommodate injury issues.
But Varane, when fit, looked solid and assured, displaying the kind of qualities that the club expected of him when investing an initial fee of £34million in his signature. United kept five of their eight Premier League clean sheets last season with him present and only lost four league games when he was on the pitch, compared to eight defeats without him.
The statistics stack up positively in the Frenchman's favour, highlighting that United were not as vulnerable defensively when he was fit. Although Ten Hag wants to add a new defender to his squad this summer, a fully fit Varane could be like a new signing.
If he gets a good pre-season under his belt and stays injury-free, his presence will give United an enormous lift. The fans have seen flashes of what he can bring to the table, but they, and the club, are yet to see it consistently enough to reap the rewards.
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