Jamie Carragher has admitted he got it wrong about Casemiro.
The former Liverpool defender has reversed his infamous criticism of the Manchester United midfielder, who was enduring a difficult spell a couple of seasons ago.
Casemiro is quietly enjoying an impressive campaign and scored the opener in United’s win over Fulham shortly after confirming he will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season.
Jamie Carragher admits he was wrong about Casemiro
Carragher’s original comments came after Manchester United’s heavy defeat to Crystal Palace in May 2024, when Casemiro played poorly in midfield.
At the time, Carragher suggested the Brazilian’s career at the top level was over and urged him to consider a move away from elite European football.
“Leave the football before the football leaves you,” he advised Casemiro.
Two years on, Carragher has publicly accepted that assessment no longer holds up.
“It is now fair to say the football has not left him,” Carragher said.
“Considering what he’s producing this season in the Premier League, and not just Fulham at home, you think what he did last week against Arsenal away and Manchester City at home. Casemiro is well within his rights to, if he wants to come back at me and say, ‘leave the punditry before the punditry’s left you!’
“He could definitely get one of those back in. Credit to him, he looks like a completely different player. He looks like a different player physically as well.
“Even when I said that, you looked at him, and he looked like an old man coming to the end of his time as a player. And whether he let himself go a little bit, or now he’s being ultra professional, physically, he looks completely different.”
Casemiro under Michael Carrick at Manchester United
Manchester United have now won three consecutive matches under Carrick, with Casemiro starting each game and playing a central role.
His recent form has stood in contrast to the last couple of seasons, when questions hovered over him about whether he still has the legs and intensity required for the Premier League.
But physically, the midfielder has looked sharper and more mobile – which Carragher openly acknowledged.
The Brazilian will leave Manchester United at the end of his current contract, which expires in the summer.
Casemiro’s exit will save United over £18 million in wages, but finding a replacement will be far from straightforward.
Losing a player with such incomparable experience and prestige will no doubt be a blow in the dressing room, but if United are to progress, they need to recruit a younger, hungry midfielder with high upside. That is easier said than done.
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