Confirmation that Casemiro will leave Manchester United at the end of the season has cued a fresh wave of praise for the Brazilian midfielder
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro celebrates with his teammates Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha
Manchester United's stars have long shown their appreciation for Casemiro, who will leave the club this summer(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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This summer will bring the curtain down on Casemiro's Manchester United career following confirmation he'll leave when his contract expires. And the Brazilian will depart the club on good terms, having starred as one of the brighter features in a difficult period for the club.
The former Real Madrid linchpin posted a tribute video on Instagram commemorating his three-and-a-half years at Old Trafford on Thursday. And club captain Bruno Fernandes was among the first to react, commenting it "was a pleasure playing alongside you."
Team-mates past and present followed suit as the likes of Diogo Dalot, Altay Bayindir and Sergio Reguilon commented with applause. Joshua Zirkzee responded simply "crack," an alternative spelling of the word "craque," which in Portuguese refers to a superstar talent.
This fresh wave of plaudits continued a trend of tributes to the player, who has been revered almost throughout his time in England. Having arrived at United as a five-time Champions League-winner with Real, Casemiro's presence demanded a certain level of respect.
It wasn't long after Casemiro's arrival at Old Trafford that Harry Maguire paid tribute to his team-mate following an FA Cup win over Reading, telling MUTV: "Cas is a top player and has been a top player throughout his career.
"You don't win what he has won without being that and playing every game in the success that he has had for club and country. He is an amazing player and an amazing character, more importantly. To have him around the place lifts the morale. In and out of possession he has really improved us."
It was only a month later in February 2023 that Luke Shaw underlined what an "extremely important player" the Brazilian was for the team: "I think it's been quite obvious to see how important he is to the team when he's not been playing.
"For us as defenders, he gives us that feeling that we know there's a lot of security, especially because of his positioning, where he always is. He loves to win the ball back and tackle. We always say to him that he likes to give the ball away so he can go and win it back!"
It's clear Casemiro developed a certain camaraderie at Carrington in no time at all, judging from his team-mates' reactions. Aside from a difficult sophomore season at Old Trafford, the South American has been a vital cog almost throughout his almost four-year stay with United.
He scored the club's opener in the 2023 Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle as he clinched the first trophy of his United career. And Marcus Rashford rained in the plaudits at the time, saying he made the job easier for all the attacking players: "He makes a huge difference for us.
Casemiro of Manchester United poses at Old Trafford after announcing he will leave the club at the end of the season, upon the expiry of his contract
Casemiro has confirmed he'll be leaving Manchester United this summer(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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“His leadership and experience in big games is essential. Speaking to some of the other forward lads, we have all said that when he is on the pitch, we can all feel the sense of security behind us, which is so important. I’m buzzing for him today."
Casemiro played key roles in the club winning both the League Cup and FA Cup during his time with United. And despite having already built a rare legacy in football prior to his arrival, he'll leave a United legend after continuing to raise standards at Old Trafford.