Casemiro was so dominant in Manchester United's resounding win at Athletic Club last week that many pundits declared that they were seeing the player who dominated for Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane's most trusted lieutenant, who won almost every trophy possible between 2013 and 2022. But if you were to ask the player himself about his display at San Mames, he would likely compare it with a more recent era.
"Analysing my career individually, my best season as a professional footballer was the first one with United," Casemiro told Diario AS in February. "Not collectively in terms of trophies. Winning the Champions League with Real Madrid was the peak. But as a player I think my first season at Old Trafford was when we saw the best Casemiro."
But if you were to ask the Brazil international about the best run of form of his career, he would be within his rights to choose right now, when he has become one of the main figureheads of United's march towards the Europa League final.
Casemiro being one of the Red Devils' most talismanic players at the crunch moment of the season should not be a surprise. After all, that was what the club were looking for when they signed the serial-winner from Madrid in 2022 for £60 million ($80m) and made him one of their top earners.
And yet, given that just one year ago his career at the highest level was declared over and he was urged to consider retirement, Casemiro's resurrection feels like a footballing miracle.
