- Midfielder snapped up from Real Madrid
- Found the target at Stamford Bridge
- Struggling to explain where emotion came from
WHAT HAPPENED? The highly-rated 30-year-old moved to Old Trafford from Real Madrid in a £70 million ($80m) deal during the summer transfer window. He was eased into English football by Erik ten Hag, but wasted little time in making a positive impression and found the target for the first time as a Red Devils player when netting a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea in October.
WHAT THEY SAID: Casemiro has told United’s official website of allowing himself to lose composure when seeing a looping header find the back of the net: “I honestly don’t really know how to explain what I was feeling at the time and how I celebrated that goal. Really! I’ve watched it back a few times because it was a celebration that I wasn’t expecting, mainly down to how the game had been going. A game in which we’d played well. And I think perhaps we deserved a little bit more out of the game as a whole, but, when the goal went in, well I just celebrated like… well, that’s it, I didn’t quite know how to greet that goal because I was so happy. And the key was that we managed to get the draw, and of course, whenever you’re helping the team, that’s the main thing.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Casemiro is now up to 16 appearances for United, with his value clear for all to see as one of the finest exponents of a midfield holding role in world football endeavours to help the Red Devils hit ultimate targets of returning to the Champions League and bringing a six-year wait for major silverware to a close.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images
WHAT NEXT? The Red Devils will be in Carabao Cup action against Aston Villa on Thursday, while a Premier League meeting with Fulham on Sunday will carry them into a World Cup break that will see Casemiro heading off to chase down global glory in Qatar.
