Casemiro is winding down his Manchester United career and has now heaped praise on one teammate who he thinks needs to get even better.
This coming weekend sees Casemiro make his final appearance at Old Trafford ahead of his contract expiring in June.
Casemiro announced he would leave back in January, setting up a retirement tour in which he has scored five goals and an assist.
These performances in his final months have seen United fans clamouring for Casemiro to stay, with chants of ‘one more year’ gracing Old Trafford. But ahead of his departure, Casemiro has taken the chance to praise a teammate.
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Casemiro hails Kobbie Mainoo with one demand
Casemiro appeared on the latest Rio Ferdinand Presents episode, and he was asked about his thoughts on Kobbie Mainoo at one stage, admitting the 21-year-old needs to push.
“I try every day with Kob (to be hard on him). Kobbie is an unbelievable player, but he needs to train, train. He needs that fear that, ‘I might play, I might not play. I need to push in training’.
“This guy is the present and the future of the club.
“An unbelievable player, he loves the ball, he needs the ball, and is comfortable with the ball. He never loses the ball, he’s strong, he has quality, but he needs to push every game and every training session.”
It is well known that Casemiro has been vital for Mainoo’s development, teaching him mentally with his experience.
Casemiro has praised Mainoo frequently throughout his young career, having been there for his debut and seen his rapid rise firsthand.
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Casemiro indicates that he agrees with Diogo Dalot
Casemiro speaks glowingly about Mainoo, but it comes with the warning that he needs to continue working hard and pushing, especially in training.
Diogo Dalot suggested Mainoo needed his time out of the team under Ruben Amorim. Teaching him to work harder in training and not to take his place for granted.
Now, Casemiro has indicated that he shares this view on Mainoo, saying that Mainoo needs the fear of not playing to drive him to be better.
Mainoo’s breakthrough during the 2023/24 season saw him immediately become a starter, so he had never experienced sitting on the bench, training extra hard for his place, or learning.
Perhaps Dalot and Casemiro are right that he needed the experience, but now that he is playing, we can’t imagine he will ever give it up.
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