Manchester United news: Guillermo Varela targets long-term career at Old Trafford

Guillermo Varela is hoping to become Manchester United's long-term option at right-back. Varela, 22, joined the club in 2013 as the first official signing of the David Moyes era. He was made to wait until December 2015 for his debut full first-team appearance for the club however, when he was thrown in at the deep end for a crucial Champions League showdown with Wolfsburg.

With so many of United's options at full-back currently sidelined, the Uruguayan featured again for the first-team in the 3-1 win over Derby County on 29 January, an appearance where he impressed. Since making his full debut in the Champions League, Varela says he now feels he is where he belongs and is eyeing a long-career at Old Trafford.

"It gave me a kind of inner calm to say that I could compete at the level of the Champions League," Varela told United's official website. "Then, I knew I can be here and I can play. After being in the squad a few times and then featuring in a number of games, you start to feel that you are capable of turning out in the starting XI and performing at the level the team requires. But, of course, I need to keep working hard, I can't start believing that I've arrived because that's clearly not the case.

"It's all about continuing to work hard and trying to win the confidence of the coach. Firstly, I love being at Manchester United and I'd love to enjoy a long career here and win everything that comes in our path. Then looking ahead, [I want to play for the Uruguayan] national team of course."

Varela moved to Spain last season to join Real Madrid Castilla, then managed by Zinedine Zidane, before returning to Manchester last summer. But the full-back has suggested he sees his future in England, insisting he now feels he has adapted to the physical and tactical demands of the game on these shores.

"Right now, I can say that I have adapted 100% to the English game. I'm used to the pace and physicality just now. I think I've learned about everything. But I've really developed and learned about the physical aspect of my game.

"The football here is very physical in comparison to Uruguay or other parts of the world, where the emphasis is more on technique and tactics. But here you have to battle harder and have more strength when you're playing and that's the biggest lesson I've learned."