Go back a few weeks and Manchester United could marvel at the range of Casemiro’s skills. There was the tackling prowess and ability to sniff out danger that had forged him a reputation as one of the world’s best defensive midfielders, and the winning habit that saw him accumulate trophy after trophy. But there was also the passing range that was obscured by the presence of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos alongside him at Real Madrid. He was playmaker and, with his ability in the box, he was scorer.
But one of his greatest talents added to the sense he was an authoritative figure who could run a game as well as a midfield: he knew how to stay on the pitch. There were three separate seasons when Casemiro was booked 15 times but not sent off. He was the master of brinkmanship, navigating games when a mistimed tackle away from an early exit, the destructive force who never proved self-destructive.
