- Casemiro praises teammate ‘unbelievable’ Kobbie Mainoo
- Midfield pair have potentially two game left together
- Brazilian will play final home game against Notts Forest this weekend
Manchester United have secured Champions League football for next season. Yet, there is a bittersweet element to it.
This is because Casemiro will not be at the club to enjoy the fruits of an excellent season for him personally. The Brazilian has started and featured in all but one game under Michael Carrick in 2026. Across the season, the veteran has scored 9 goals and assisted twice while conducting defensive duties.
Yet, he was quick to divert any praise to his partner in crime, Kobbie Mainoo, who will be leading the team’s midfield for many years to come.
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Casemiro Praises Mainoo
Casemiro appeared in the latest episode of ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’, which has already featured several past United players. The Brazilian himself will soon be part of the alumni, as he will leave next month once his contract officially expires.
One of the topics was his teammate Kobbie Mainoo, whom he praised for becoming the “present and the future of the club”. That reality was secured last month, when the 21-year-old signed a long-term deal with the club he has grown up at.
Casemiro continued: “He’s an unbelievable player. He’s a number eight. Not number 6. On the ball, he is unbelievable. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. He loves the ball, he likes the ball, he needs the ball. He controls the ball, he never loses the ball. He’s strong. He has quality, but he needs to push every time, every time, every time, every time.”
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Casemiro’s Judgement is Fair
Casemiro’s public judgment on Mainoo is a classic verdict from a seasoned veteran who has won it all. Whilst he was quick to praise the young player, he was equally as vocal about Mainoo needing to ‘push’ on, ‘train’ and not to get too comfortable about being an automatic starter.
What does help is Mainoo’s grounded nature. Many young players would have created a fiasco about wanting to leave the club after the treatment he was subjected to under Ruben Amorim.
United chose to side with the Portuguese manager, and this could have been a completely different story if Amorim had not been sacked. Yet, the Reds are quite fortunate that Mainoo acted professionally throughout being sidelined.
Although he requested a loan away from Old Trafford in the winter, he was never considering permanently leaving the club. Many players in his position would have done so, even those much older than him. A classic example is former teammate Alejandro Garnacho, who was vocally active through social media about his dissatisfaction last season.
United dodged a bullet, but now they have the same bullet that can pierce opposition for years to come. Casemiro’s endorsement only reinforces the idea that Mainoo will become the future of Manchester United.
