18 April 2023 , 18:23
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Few Manchester United signings in recent years have hit the ground running quite like Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.
The former Real Madrid ace has been nothing short of sensational in his debut season in English football and has arguably been the Red Devils' player of the campaign so far. It may not come as much of a surprise to those who watched Casemiro perform at the Santiago Bernabeu, but there is always the risk a player from a division in another country won't adapt to the Premier League.
That has not been the case with the 31-year-old, who has helped transform the way United play and is one of the first names on Erik ten Hag's team sheet when available.
As a result, the Brazil international has earned plenty of plaudits, many of which have followed a similar theme suggesting Casemiro wouldn't have looked out of place in the trophy-winning United sides of years gone by.
The latest to compliment Casemiro is former Red Devils ace Owen Hargreaves, who explained how the current United star plays in a way club legend Sir Alex Ferguson will appreciate.
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"Sir Alex always said: 'When you win the ball back, play forward.' He [Casemiro] wins it and he passes forward, he gets it to Bruno [Fernandes] or he gets it to [Christian] Eriksen, who play in Marcus [Rashford] or any of the attacking players."
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Casemiro has shone for Man United since his arrival in the summer (Southampton FC via Getty Images)Hargreaves also went on to add how Casemiro is the standout nomination for United's player of the year in his view, claiming: "My player of the year? Marcus made headlines, but the team is really different when Casemiro isn't playing.
"It affects David de Gea, the four defenders and the midfield balance ground. It is the basic element."
Hargreaves isn't the only former United midfielder to wax lyrical over Casemiro this season. Paul Scholes likened the former Real Madrid man to another Red Devils legend in Roy Keane back in February.
"He's a proper Manchester United midfielder that gets involved in everything.
"You see him up the pitch, you see him defending, you see him controlling the game at times. He's probably as close to Roy Keane as you're going to get. I think he's been brilliant. I think 'holding midfielder' just does him a little bit of an injustice."
Casemiro played a starring role in ending the club's six-year wait for silverware earlier this season and could contribute further as United aim to lift both the FA Cup and the Europa League, as well as secure Champions League qualification.