Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is leaving Old Trafford this summer and has responded to Jamie Carragher, who famously told him to ‘leave the football before the football leaves you’
Casemiro has suggested that Jamie Carragher’s “leave the football” remark from two years ago was probably fuelled by “bitterness” following his beloved Liverpool’s defeats to the Brazilian’s Real Madrid in two Champions League finals.
The Manchester United midfielder will depart Old Trafford this summer when his contract runs out, despite rediscovering his best form under Michael Carrick. He has been instrumental in their resurgence, which will see them qualify for the Champions League following a disappointing few months.
Casemiro has turned back the clock and resembles the player who was so influential in Spain. During his spell at the Bernabeu, he secured the Champions League on five occasions, beating Liverpool in finals in 2018 and 2022, and suspects Carragher may have been irked by those defeats when he delivered his infamous criticism.
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Back in 2024, when United were enduring a dismal run of results, Casemiro was targeted by Carragher, who insisted he needed to leave the Premier League.
He said: “This has to stop because we are watching one of the greats of the modern time. I always remember the saying ‘leave the football before the football leaves you’. The football has left him. At this top level, he needs to call it a day at this level and move.
“The level of that player, he should not be putting himself through this. He is too good of a player to be putting in a performance like that being laughed at by Crystal Palace. He needs to call it a day.”
Casemiro was pressed on those remarks and told TNT Sports Brazil: “Everyone says whatever they want on television. I’m not someone who gets involved in that.
“But it’s a bit normal, because I won two Champions League titles over his team. Maybe after you win two titles against his club, there’s still some bitterness there.”
Carragher has since performed a U-turn on those remarks, prompting the United midfielder to extend an olive branch. He said: “I respect his opinion. I don’t hold any resentment. The important thing is that he recognised he was wrong and changed his opinion. That’s what matters most.”
Casemiro has delivered a string of crucial goals, enjoying his most prolific season in front of goal, with Carragher acknowledging he would have to accept any comeback from the Brazilian.
He said: “Considering what he’s producing this season in the Premier League, and not just Fulham at home, you think what he did last week against Arsenal away and Manchester City at home.
“Casemiro is well within his rights to, if he wants to come back at me and say, ‘leave the punditry before the punditry’s left you!’ He could definitely get one of those back in. Credit to him, he looks a completely different player.”
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