Casemiro says he wouldn’t have left Real Madrid if it wasn’t the ‘ideal moment’

Casemiro has admitted that his £60million move to Manchester United last summer came at the ‘ideal moment’ in his career, claiming he would not have left Real Madrid had he been two or three years older.

The Brazilian midfielder, who made a significant impact during his debut season at Old Trafford, joined the Red Devils as a 30-year-old last summer in what was Erik ten Hag’s first transfer window at the club.

Drawing on his trophy-laden seven-year spell at the Bernabeu, in which he won five Champions Leagues, three LaLiga titles and three Club World Cups, Casemiro helped Manchester United win the Carabao Cup and carve out a third-place finish in the Premier League.

Looking back on last summer’s switch to Old Trafford, Casemiro admitted the transfer came at the perfect time, as he still had the ‘hunger’ and ‘ambition’ to take on a new challenge.

‘First I spoke with my family, who accepted it immediately,’ the defensive midfielder told Brazilian magazine Placar.

‘It was the opportunity to leave a great club (Real Madrid) at the top, at an age that still allows me to have that hunger to continue winning.

‘If it had been two or three years from now, I wouldn’t have left Real Madrid to go to another big one, I wouldn’t have that ambition to change leagues and leverage another giant club. It was the ideal moment.’

Casemiro went on to reveal how welcoming those at Manchester United were after his transfer and attributes his fruitful debut season to the warm reception he received upon arriving.

‘Of course everyone wants love and respect,’ he continued. ‘Everyone at the club has always been very affectionate.

‘I felt loved from the first day, which was not easy after ten years at Real Madrid. It is the result of the work on the field, it was a very good mix of fans, employees, players, and that has been very important for my adaptation.’

Speaking of the differences between LaLiga and the Premier League, he added: ‘The difference) has been exactly what I thought. The main thing is that there is no easy game here, the first one plays against the last one and is not sure of winning.

‘If you do it with only 90 per cent of your strength, you lose. I like the Premier (League), they are the games with the best atmosphere. Everything is great, I was told that Manchester was a difficult city to live in, but I love it.’

‘Being a leader, being like a father, I like having this role. I like to set an example, be the first to arrive.

‘The captain’s armband is just a symbol, but the players have a responsibility to talk to the referee, to the players. I like to be that exemplary player.’

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