Casemiro has made 159 appearances and scored 26 goals for Manchester United
“One more year, one more year, Casemiro.”
While a contract extension is not on the cards, Manchester United fans are expected to serenade the Brazilian with their now-customary chant during his final Old Trafford appearance against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The chant has become a familiar soundtrack at United games in the latter half of the season, particularly after Casemiro has found the net, most recently during a Premier League match against Brentford last month.
The 34-year-old responded to the adulation by kissing and pointing to the club badge.
United supporters responded enthusiastically.
This scene contrasts sharply with events on 30 December 2024, when sections of United’s normally loyal fanbase turned on striker Joshua Zirkzee, who was substituted in the 33rd minute during a home defeat by Newcastle.
The underlying sentiment that day was that, despite the negative reaction to Zirkzee’s substitution, a similar fate for Casemiro would have elicited an even stronger response, reflecting the veteran’s underwhelming performance.
The midfielder was eventually substituted after 64 minutes, and subsequently spent a month out of the side, with nearly seven weeks elapsing before his next start. As manager Ruben Amorim noted at the time, “Even Toby [Collyer] was sometimes playing in front of him.”
This came nine months after Jamie Carragher’s pointed comment that Casemiro should “leave the football before the football leaves you,” following a 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace in May 2024, which almost resulted in Erik ten Hag’s dismissal, before the FA Cup final triumph, a match from which Casemiro was omitted.
By January 2025, Carragher’s assessment was largely accepted, in contrast to Casemiro’s own view, who labelled it “disrespectful” in a recent interview on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast.
Amorim believed that Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, lacked the physical attributes necessary to thrive in the Premier League.
Manchester United’s Casemiro (left) with midfield partner Kobbie Mainoo
It took three months of dedicated effort to change Amorim’s perspective.
On 6 March 2025, he started the first leg of the Europa League last-16 tie against Real Sociedad. He retained his place for the league fixture against Arsenal, and has since started every major game for United.
“Football changes. Life changes,” Casemiro reflected in his recent interview with Ferdinand.
“For me, [with] the best players in the world, it’s about the mentality… I might not play good – I’m not a robot and I know. But the next [game], I give everything on the pitch. The mentality is next, next, next.”
This mentality has earned Casemiro a recall to the Brazil squad, where he is expected to captain the team under Carlo Ancelotti at this summer’s tournament.
This season, the 34-year-old’s influence has grown noticeably.
It is widely acknowledged that within Michael Carrick’s squad, an injury to Casemiro in February, after the transfer window closed, would have posed the most significant challenge to their Champions League qualification bid.
“He has been an absolute pleasure to work with,” Carrick stated in his programme notes for the Forest game.
“He will always have a special connection with Manchester United.”
Carrick believes the early announcement of Casemiro’s departure on 22 January, shortly after his own return as Amorim’s interim replacement, has been beneficial for both player and club.
Beyond his on-field contributions, Casemiro’s influence at Old Trafford is set to extend beyond his physical presence.
When Casemiro joined from Real Madrid in 2022 for a fee of up to £70m, Kobbie Mainoo, then 17, anticipated learning a great deal from the decorated veteran.
Amid the Brazilian’s dip in form, Mainoo found himself competing with Casemiro for a starting place, an unexpected turn of events.
A clear positive outcome of Amorim’s departure has been the partnership between the two, who have featured alongside each other in 13 of Carrick’s 15 matches in charge, with minor injuries accounting for the only absences.
“Kobbie is my friend,” Casemiro remarked in a recent interview with the United We Stand fanzine.
“I have an excellent relationship with him. We are always joking – in English because he doesn’t speak Portuguese.
“He is a complete player, the present and the future of Manchester.
“Why? Because he has already shown us that he can play to a high level for his club and country. The one thing he needs to improve is to play more with the ball, to touch the ball more, because he has so much quality.
“Then it’s the decision-making which comes with experience. That improves with age.”
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro kisses the badge on his shirt after scoring against Brentford
Helping Mainoo realize his potential, something that seemed evident to everyone except Amorim, would be a fitting final chapter for Casemiro, who will always be regarded as a hero at Old Trafford. A move to Major League Soccer has been mooted following the World Cup.
The immediate focus, however, is on Forest and his Old Trafford farewell, with the “one more year” chants sure to reverberate around the stadium.
“It’s incredible, just incredible,” Casemiro told United We Stand.
“My son (five-year-old Caio) is a Manchester United fan. He knows the songs and sings them at home. When the team loses, he cries.
“Our box is right on top of where the noisy United fans are. They feel this spirit.
“The most important thing about this club are the fans. Many times, we lose a game but in the next game they support us more. For me, that’s incredible. I’ve never experienced that in my career.”
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