Casemiro has opened up on his recent resurgence at Manchester United following significant criticism from former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
Casemiro’s recent form at Manchester United has been a shock to many, with the former Brazilian international having forced his way back into Rúben Amorim’s side.
After a 2-0 loss against Newcastle in December, it was theorised by many that the 32-year-old no longer had what it takes to play at the top level, and he was all but exiled from Amorim’s first-team matchday squads.
However, since the turn of the year, Casemiro has been nothing short of fantastic. He has been a pivotal player in the club’s push to win the Europa League this season, with the club set to face Tottenham in the final after Casemiro scored in both legs across a 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Club in the semi-finals.
Amorim himself has admitted that he has learned to utilise Casemiro properly in the last two months, with the player creating a good partnership with Bruno Fernandes both on and off the ball.
Casemiro opens up on his resurgance under Amorim
Casemiro has always been a winner. The player holds 22 trophies to his name, including five Champions League titles, three La Liga medals, and last season’s FA Cup.
Amid his rise back to prominence at Old Trafford, Casemiro has opened up on his mentality, explaining that no matter what he has won in his career or his status in the team, he continues to work hard every day to win more.
“I have won what I have won,” Casemiro told club media ahead of the Europa League semi-final second leg tie against Athletic Club.
“But I always want more. I always want to earn it, to win, that is the winning mentality. People only see the 90 minutes, I always say ‘the matches are the reflection of what you do every day’ and that is me – always working.
“Whether I play or don’t play, I am there every day. That is me as a person, that is me. Whether I play or not – all I want is for United to win. If United win, I am winning. The most important is that United win. It is not about me winning or another player winning, it is about United winning.
“I want to help in any way I can, I will be there. This is my mentality. That is why I have won what I have won in my career.”
Fans demand an apology from Carragher
A significant driver surrounding criticism earlier this season was a statement made by Jamie Carragher, as following the aforementioned loss against Newcastle, the former Premier League centre-back said on Casemiro: “Leave the football before the football leaves you. The football has left him.”
Carragher is now a well-established pundit for Sky Sports and CBS, but he famously never won a Premier League title with Liverpool. Although he has a Champions League to his name, he has just one compared to Casemiro’s five.
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Following United’s epic comeback win over Lyon last month, in which Casemiro created all three of the club’s goals in extra time to win the tie, fans demanded that Carragher apologise for his comments about Casemiro.
However, the 47-year-old has remained silent since his harsh words, although there is little doubt that he may retract his initial statement if pressed on it in the future.
Caragher has also come under fire recently for complaining that fans of other clubs are telling Liverpool how to feel about winning the 2024/25 Premier League title amid the irony that he has spent the better part of the last decade ridiculing and playing down clubs such as Arsenal and United for their respective successes.
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