Casemiro appreciates fellow midfielders

Well, Kobbie wasn’t alone in receiving high praise from Casemiro, with the richly decorated 32-year-old extolling the qualities of some of United’s midfield mix.

Case described skipper Bruno Fernandes as “a very sharp player” – in fact, and this is no mean feat given the South American’s career, he says Fernandes is “one of the sharpest players towards goal I’ve played with in my career”.

Christian Eriksen, meanwhile, is praised as “a player who looks after the ball, he treats the ball with care”, with Casemiro adding that the Dane brings “good passing” and a desire to “control the game, always wanting the ball” in the United midfield.

Scott McTominay is described by Casemiro as “a player who offers strength and gets in the box, and is an important goal threat”. The Brazilian goes further with his admiration for the Academy graduate, saying: “I think Scott is the type of player all clubs need; he always wants more and rallies the team. You want players who elevate the team and train well. Players like Scott are very important.”

Our no.18's regard for Kobbie Mainoo is clear, but Casemiro also stresses that expectation should not be heaped on the youngster’s shoulders at such an early stage in his career, but he should be allowed to develop at his own pace.

“I think it’s really important that we don’t put too much pressure on an 18-year-old player,” he says. “Let things happen naturally. We can’t skip stages, we have to go step-by- step with Kobbie.”

You can read Casemiro’s compelling interview in full only in the new April edition of Inside United, which is on sale now in shops, at the Old Trafford Megastore and around the stadium during home matches.

It can also be bought or subscribed to online here.