Casemiro: Brazilian prepares to say farewell to Man Utd and Old Trafford
It took three months of hard work to change Amorim’s mind.
On March 6, 2025, the first leg of the Europa League last 16 draw started against Real Sociedad. He retained his place in the league match against Arsenal and started every major match United played from then on.
“Football changes. Life changes,” Casemiro said in his latest interview with former United captain Ferdinand.
“For me, [with] The best players in the world are all about that mentality. I may not play well; I’m not a robot and I know. But next [game]I give my all on the field. The mindset is next, next, next.”
This is the mentality that brought Casemiro back to the Brazil squad; He is expected to be Carlo Ancelotti’s captain in this summer’s tournament.
This season, the 34-year-old player’s influence has increased noticeably.
It is widely accepted that of all the players in Michael Carrick’s squad, should Casemiro get injured in February after the transfer window, his absence will be the most difficult to make up in the eventual successful quest for Champions League qualification.
“It was a pleasure working with him,” Carrick says in the program notes for the Forest match.
“He will always have a special connection with Manchester United.”
Carrick felt the early clarity around Casemiro’s departure – announced on 22 January, days after the manager became Amorim’s temporary replacement – was beneficial for the player and the club.
Aside from the mental aspect, the player’s impact at Old Trafford needs to extend much longer than his physical presence.
When Casemiro arrived from Real Madrid in 2022 in a deal worth £70 million, then-17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo felt he would learn a lot from one of the most decorated players in the game.
Amidst the Brazilian’s slump in form, Mainoo entered the fight for the starting spot with Casemiro, which was not a situation he had envisaged.
The obvious by-product of Amorim’s departure was the partnership between the pair, who played alongside each other in 13 of Carrick’s 15 games in charge; The only reason why it wasn’t 15 out of 15 was because both players were missing for one game each due to minor injuries.
“Kobbie is my friend,” Casemiro explained in a separate interview with the respected United We Stand fanzine earlier this month.
“I have a great relationship with him. We joke in English all the time because he doesn’t speak Portuguese.
“He is the complete player for Manchester today and for the future.
“Why? Because he taught us that he can play at a high level for his club and his country. The only thing he needs to improve is playing more with the ball, touching the ball more, because he is a very quality player.
“Then it’s the decision-making process that comes with experience. That gets better with age.”
