Former Manchester United footballer Garth Crooks believes Casemiro has brought the Red Devils dressing room together, something he believes Cristiano Ronaldo failed to do during his second spell with the club.
The English giants won their first trophy under Erik ten Hag on Sunday (February 26). They beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Wembley to lift the EFL Cup, known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons.
The protagonist of the Manchester United match, as he has done on many occasions this season, was Casemiro. The Brazilian opened the scoring for his team and also managed the midfield, while helping their defense keep a clean sheet.
Many eyebrows were raised when the Old Trafford outfit agreed a deal worth £70m to sign the then 30-year-old from Real Madrid last summer. However, he has quickly established himself as a key player and fan favorite.
Crooks has become lyrical about Casemiro striving for success in Manchester despite all he achieved with The whites. The former striker noted that the midfielder could have easily taken a casual approach after joining the club last summer. He wrote in his BBC sports column:
“What a professional Casemiro turned out to be for United. He could, at the age of 31 and having achieved all the success he has in his career with Real Madrid, fulfill his fat contract by living on the easy street.”
“Instead, he has come to Old Trafford determined to turn around the fortunes of a club that was on its knees when he arrived. The football was terrible, the dressing room toxic and the results poor.”
Crooks believes that Casemiro has earned a special place in the hearts of fans as he has managed to unite the Manchester United team, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo. He added:
“The Brazilian has slowly brought his teammates back into the game and now win trophies. His performance against Newcastle in the EFL Cup final was the performance of a leader.
“Casemiro has done precisely what Cristiano Ronaldo failed to do – put together a dressing room – and he is very quickly acquiring a special status among United fans.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s second spell with Manchester United turned sour
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford in 2021, 12 years after he left the club for Real Madrid, was one that got the fans excited. However, his second spell with the Premier League giants quickly soured after a first season in which he finished with 24 goals for United average.
Frustrated with his diminishing playing time, Ronaldo launched an attack on Manchester United manager Ten Hag in an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan. As a result, his contract was mutually terminated in November 2022.