Luke Shaw made Man Utd squad's thoughts clear on Casemiro after private joke revealed

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Luke Shaw once shed light on what the rest of the Manchester United squad thought of Casemiro by sharing a private joke from the dressing room. United announced this week that Casemiro will leave the club at the end of the season as a free agent.

The 33-year-old Brazilian’s whopping £350,000-per-week contract expires this summer, with United opting not to renew his deal. The five-time Champions League winner joined United for £60million in August 2022 when Erik ten Hag was in charge and proved an instant hit, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists that season despite being a defensive midfielder.

Casemiro’s Old Trafford career has seen him play 146 games and score 21 goals to date, though the veteran’s biggest contributions were on the defensive end. Comments made by United team-mate Shaw reflected that defensive importance during his first season, when the English left-back highlighted how highly the rest of the Red Devils dressing room rated his tackling, while also mentioning perhaps his biggest flaw.

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Shaw revealed in a press conference in 2023: "I think it's obvious to see how important he is to the team. For us as defenders, it gives us a feeling of security. He loves to win the ball back and tackle.

"We joke he likes to give the ball away so he can win it back. I'm very happy to have him back tomorrow night because he's been a big miss for us."

Before that, Casemiro’s Brazil team-mate Raphinha also heaped praise on the former Real Madrid star. "Man, Casemiro is a player that I always talk about to my friends, my relatives. Casemiro is a player that I’d particularly like to have on my team," Barcelona's Raphinha told ESPN Brasil .

"Because in addition to the experience he has in football, in the things he has achieved in football, he’s a great leader, he’s a great person and he manages to complete a team with the football, with the quality he has, and with the defensive part that for me, he’s one of the best defensive midfielders in the world ."

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Such comments highlight the defensive qualities United and Michael Carrick’s managerial successor will miss next season, as well as his experienced voice in the dressing room. Several young midfielders have already been linked with a United transfer as the club look to rebuild their engine room.

Casemiro said this week: "I will carry Manchester United with me throughout my entire life. From the first day that I walked out at this beautiful stadium, I felt the passion of Old Trafford and the love that I now share with our supporters for this special club.

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