Casemiro ‘enjoys every moment like a child’ after superb double for Manchester United

The Brazilian has made doubters foolish about his big-money move from Real Madrid, after rising to the challenge of turning the club’s fortunes around.

“When you arrive at a new club, you always dream of making history… especially if you see the greatness of this club,” said the Brazil international.

“We know the story. But of course I was aware that I needed time to adapt and that rivals had a long-term plan before ours, like Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool. They all have managers who have been there for a while and therefore have an advantage.

“I’m happy with my adaptation here, my team-mates and the staff are really helping me… also with the English language, it’s been quite hard but I’m really trying to improve.

“Everyone here has been lovely to me and from day one I’ve felt at home here. I appreciate all the effort the club has made to get me here, John [Murtough, United’s director of football] included.

“I’m very comfortable at Manchester United, extremely happy to be here and enjoy every moment like a 15-year-old kid! But the most important [thing] is to see the team grow.

Casemiro spoke in Portuguese but understood many of the questions put to him in English following his starring role in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round win over Reading.

The 30-year-old scored a fine, tricky opener in the second half before firing a sparkling, deflected shot from distance as Erik ten Hag’s side headed into the next round.

United are still fighting on all four fronts and will surely have a chance of winning the Carabao Cup final next month as they aim for a first trophy since 2017.

“We have to see what the reality is and we are still a club under construction,” Casemiro said when told his decision to join the club at such a low level surprised many.

“Of course we are already respected, the opponents know that we are strong, that we have a good dynamic, the manager is doing a good job, the players too.

“Manchester United is a big club… in my opinion, if you look at the titles, it’s the biggest in England. In our lives, we have to have goals and challenges. It was a challenge for me to continue to grow and develop in my career.

“The work is done with a lot of humility knowing that there is a lot to improve, but all the players are to be congratulated now. We are on the right track. This is the way to win titles, but we have to continue to grow.

“We know that we are progressing with a plan, step by step, we are building a well-structured team and that is important. To win titles in the future, you need to build a solid foundation.