Casemiro has played down his impact at Manchester United by shining a light on the defensive work rate of the entire dressing room
The defensive midfielder made 24 league starts this season and he remains widely regarded among the best in his position in the world, despite being in the autumn of his career following a trophy-laden stint at Real Madrid.
Casemiro has been instrumental in the success of Erik ten Hag's side and he played a key role as United won the Carabao Cup, qualified for Champions League football with a third-place finish and reached the FA Cup final.
He's one of the first names on the team sheet and he contributed to David de Gea keeping the most clean sheets in the league.
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Although the Premier League Golden Glove award, given to the goalkeeper who records the most clean sheets, is a personal accolade, De Gea has credited the team for the prize and Casemiro clearly shares that sentiment.
Casemiro discussed the team's defensive work with United's in-house media and he provided an insight into the team mentality that has been instilled in the dressing room by Ten Hag this season.
"At the end of the day, we’re here to try and win the ball back," Casemiro said. "I think we’re always in and around defensive areas, and always aiming to help out our centre-backs and also David [De Gea] too, to try to prevent the ball getting through to him.
"But I’m fortunate too that my team-mates help me out and that I always get a hand from the other lads. It’s impossible to defend by yourself, so I can always count on help from our defenders.
"In Brazil, we always say that your first line of defence is your number nine, or your striker. In modern football, you defend with all 11 players, and you attack with all 11 too. That is how football is nowadays.
"It’s just impossible to defend or attack all by yourself. So, I always have to help out the other lads both in attack and also in defence."
United conceded 43 league goals this season and only three teams conceded fewer.
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