Casemiro said an emotional farewell to Manchester United at Old Trafford and Michael Carrick has confirmed the Brazil midfielder has played his final game for the club
Casemiro’s Manchester United career has reached its conclusion after Michael Carrick confirmed he won’t feature in the squad to face Brighton on Sunday and has already departed the club.
Casemiro, 34, delivered an emotional goodbye to Old Trafford on Sunday during the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest. He received a standing ovation when withdrawn before delivering a touching address on the pitch after the match.
Now caretaker manager Carrick has revealed that he decided last week that this season’s Old Trafford finale would serve as the Brazil international’s send-off and confirmed that Casemiro has already left as he enjoys some rest before this summer’s World Cup.
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“It just felt the right time, I think, for Cassie, and it was decided, he’s part of that as well, so it was the right time,” he said.
“We always kind of decided that last week would be his last game, so I think that went well, as well as we all could have hoped to be honest, and he’s been fantastic.
“I’ve said a lot of things about Cassie and how well he’s done for me since I’ve been here and for the whole club, but yeah, it was decided that it was a good time for him to finish, really.”
Carrick aims to conclude the campaign on a high note but will utilise the clash at the Amex to provide opportunities to some of United’s emerging talents.
And while United will secure third place regardless of Sunday’s outcome, he’s conscious that Europe-chasing Brighton have considerable stakes in the encounter. “We’re certainly conscious of the situation of the game and what’s at stake. I think we’ve certainly got a responsibility for that,” said Carrick.
“We’ve managed to put ourselves in a position where we kind of are in the position that we are in the league, and I’ve said that we wanted to finish strong for ourselves as much as anything, so we’re approaching the game as we would any other game.
“There’s a lot to play for Brighton, for Bournemouth, for all the other clubs surrounding that, so we’re well aware of that.”