Manuel Ugarte has singled out one of his Manchester United teammates for helping him improve as a player.
After joining Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, Manuel Ugarte struggled under Erik ten Hag, but the Uruguay international is growing into his role under Ruben Amorim.
It can’t be easy to join a struggling team, but having fulfilled expectations under Amorim at Sporting CP, Ugarte is set to keep his place in the team next season.
The 24-year-old has made 40 appearances for United’s first-team so far this term, with the next making taking place on Thursday night when the Red Devils face Athletic Club at San Mames.
United aim to win the Europa League after reaching the semi-finals, granting Ugarte and other new signings the chance to win their first trophy at the club.
A big performance is required against Athletic Club, and, in the lead up to the game, Ugarte has named one experienced team-mate he will be leaning on.
Manuel Ugarte ‘learning’ from Casemiro
A lot has been written about the future of Casemiro.
Aged 33, the Brazilian international is one of the top earners at Old Trafford.
While Casemiro’s performance levels have dipped over the past two years, the former Real Madrid star remains an important player at United. It looked like he was out of favour under Amorim, but he has kicked on to play a key role in recent months.
Ugarte claims Casemiro is a ‘winner’ and is helping him improve. That suggests the Brazilian’s influence is felt in the dressing room.
“I am learning a lot with Casemiro,” Ugarte told reporters as he spoke alongside Amorim at Wednesday’s press conference.
“I have a very good relationship with Case and I try to copy as much as I can. All the good things that he has a player, both inside and outside the pitch too.
“This is what makes him a winner. Up until now, I keep learning and I am very happy.”
Despite showing signs of slowing down, Casemiro has still made 37 appearances for United this season. There’s a chance he will remain at the club unless an acceptable offer is made this summer.
Ugarte explains why Man Utd are better in Europa League
It has been a disappointing season for United in domestic competitions.
Especially in the Premier League, with United sitting 14th in the standings. The Red Devils could finish as low as 17th but still qualify for the Champions League if they can win the Europa League outright.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 14 |  Man UtdManchester United | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 39 | 47 | -8 | 39 |
United are showing strong signs in Europe as they remain unbeaten in Europe’s second-tier competition this season.
Ugarte believes the biggest difference between the Premier League and Europa League is physicality.
He added: “The main difference is the physical part, I think. We have felt better playing in the Europa League. Then, as the coach said, we had games in the Premier League where we had opportunities and we didn’t score.
“We lost points in the Premier League because of small details. We need to be focused on these kind of details. In the Europa League, we are very, very much focused. That is how we need to play in the Premier League, too.”
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