Casemiro has not yet enjoyed the game time many had expected him to upon his arrival at Manchester United following his £60m transfer from Real Madrid.
The Brazilian has started just once in five appearances having played just 51 minutes of Premier League action so far. His full league debut is only a matter of time and he could make it in the Manchester derby - United’s next fixture - on October 2.
Casemiro arrived at Old Trafford boasting five Champions League successes and two La Liga triumphs after a career at the top of the game. His mission will now be to try and guide a Reds side which has not clasped hands on silverware for more than five years to glory.
Having massed over 460 club appearances, Casemiro brings bags of experience. He’s also tallied 63 caps for Brazil, in which he lifted the 2019 Copa America.
And he had been using his expertise to guide the upcoming generation at Real Madrid. One of those rising stars was Fede Valverde, who broke into the senior squad in 2018.
He’s been a regular fixture in the Los Blancos first-team, having scored four goals in nine games already this season. He described how Casemiro had nurtured him when he was handed his opportunity to make the step up.
He outlined: “He was a very special person, who opened doors for me at all times, advised me, taught me the values of this team and this club. He always supported me.”
Valverde’s comments show that, in time, Casemiro can play an important role in United’s rebuild project. The likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage are already on the brink of more first-team minutes, the former clocking 22 minutes for the senior side this season.
Having a serial winner such as Casemiro among their ranks will be invaluable for their progression and ultimately the team.
Once he has become a steadied figure in the club, he can adopt his advisory status again to pass on vital developmental information to his younger colleagues at an earlier stage than they might have otherwise received it.