Does he ever lose it? He has his moments, although he can’t speak to some players because he can’t really speak in English. As a leader, he knows when he has to be a little bit tough and when he has to be more composed.” The likes of Casemiro and fellow summer signing Lisandro Martínez have been central to restoring that bond between players and supporters after the disconnect last season. That was probably never better encapsulated than at Stamford Bridge in October when Casemiro’s dramatic 94th minute equaliser sparked wild scenes of celebration. Now 30, the only disappointment for supporters is they have had to wait until this stage of Casemiro’s career to finally see a midfielder of that calibre in a red shirt. I want to show my fighting spirit, capacity to work hard and professional attitude. I want to win the league. I am going through one of the best moments of my career. I feel I’m really fit, mentally I feel great, and I want to continue to enjoy. It’s a great moment to take this decision.”

If a garlanded footballer who claimed five Champions Leagues at his previous club, Real Madrid, raised an eyebrow at his manager’s selection that day he is too professional to mention it. Instead, Casemiro talks loudest where it matters most: on the pitch, as in February’s Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle, heading the opener in a 2-0 triumph that secured Ten Hag the first trophy of his tenure and which, alongside a third-place finish, moves Casemiro to praise the manager’s impact in his opening season. Casemiro wants more and it is another line from his unveiling interview that has come to linger. “I have a lot of ambition to win,” he said. “If next year we don’t win the Premier League or the Champions League, I will be sad and angry.”Casemiro is such an important player, he’s been in big places and how you see him on the pitch is the way he is off it – just a really calm guy,” Fernandes says. “He doesn’t speak English really well yet but in the way of football, the way he can communicate with his teammates, he speaks really well. These are the basic principles. Beyond that, people want you to score goals, to pass, get the team playing because football’s changed. In the past it would be the No 10 that would be required to do that. I saw an interview with [Juan Román] Riquelme [the Argentinian playmaker] once talking about central defensive midfielders and specifically [Sergio] Busquets.

United fans knew that Casemiro would bring the aggression along with his positional sense and reading of the game, to see the danger before it unfolds. The pleasant surprise has been what he has done in possession. There was the feeling in Madrid that he was a pure No 6 because of who he played with – Luka Modic and Toni Kroos. He sacrificed himself in pursuit of a platform for them. But Casemiro is much more than a mere enabler. At United, Casemiro has continued to see the devil in the detail, his match preparation heavy on studying the opposing players, their strengths and weaknesses, their statistics. He also finds out the referee’s name and a bit about him so that he can make a connection, one which may work for him and the team. Maybe it is because Casemiro played alongside two of the great modern passers in Luka Modric and Toni Kroos at Real that his own passing was underestimated but it has transformed the way United play. In his modest way, Casemiro deflects a question about how the wisdom gained from his quintet of European Cup triumphs might be drawn upon. “It’s true that when you’ve played in so many finals and lots of games and you’re 31 and have that experience, you try to pass on that experience, to instil calm,” he says. “It’s a very important game but we also know that it’s one you should enjoy – a final. But together with my teammates, we can share our experience. We’ve got David [de Gea], Bruno [Fernandes], Rafa [Varane] also who has won countless titles.”Underdogs Real Betis find themselves in a much worse predicament, although Pellegrini is unlikely to rotate in light of the looming suspensions. Defensive trio German Pezzella, Luiz Filipe and Aitar Ruibal are all one yellow card away from serving one-match bans, as is former Manchester City and Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. The Brazilian’s impact – on and off the field – has been nothing short of sensational. There are some fans who have likened it to that of Eric Cantona in 1992 and, if that is big talk, well, this is a club where that sort of thing is a part of it.

What have so impressed the staff at United are Casemiro’s hunger and professionalism. Is he sated by his five Champions Leagues plus 13 other honours at Real, including three La Liga titles? Absolutely not. Casemiro wanted to take on a new challenge, feeling that his cycle at the Bernabéu was over, and it says plenty that he went for a total change in a new country with a different language and football culture. The Red Devils will welcome Manuel Pellegrini's men to Old Trafford this Thursday for a last-16 clash, having beaten Barcelona in the play-off round. Casemiro, 30, was instrumental in both legs but could find himself missing an upcoming fixture as United resume their European campaign following Sunday's appalling 7-0 defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool. The victory he cites over the City juggernaut of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and company is January’s 2-1 Premier League return at Old Trafford. The 31-year-old was in the XI then but at the Etihad had been only a 59th-minute substitute , when United were 4-1 behind, Erik ten Hag preferring Scott McTominay in central midfield.If anything, the debacle appeared only to deepen his desire to move to Old Trafford and this notion of Casemiro having become “fixated” on the transfer, as one source put it, was reaffirmed when a United delegation flew to Madrid a few days later to seal the deal. I’m surprised, I have to be honest,” Peter Schmeichel, the Old Trafford goalkeeping great, said at the time. “Because Casemiro hasn’t been mentioned at all through the window. Also, if you are No 6 for Manchester United, you are supposed to drive and take part in the game. Casemiro is one booking away from suspension in the Europa League, giving Erik ten Hag a headache ahead of Manchester United's first-leg tie against Real Betis.

Casemiro congratulates Bruno Fernandes after he scored against Fulham in United’s last game of the Premier League season. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ I spoke to my wife and she said I look like an 18-year-old kid who is super excited about his new project and I do feel so excited about playing in the Premier League,” Casemiro said during an emotional farewell ceremony. With Casemiro, United are averaging 64.1 passes into the final third per game compared to 51.3 without him and their open play crosses, possession and pass accuracy statistics all shoot up who dramatically when the Brazilian plays. Listening to the Old Trafford crowd roar its approval whenever Casemiro makes another raking pass has, sources said, left a huge impression on the player. Of course, your morale drops and it’s boosted when you score six in victory [but] we beat them at home and as I’ve said, each game is completely different but losing in that way is tough for you. But, when you do lose like that, the most important game is the next one which you need to win and get three points from.”