Manchester United legend Gary Neville has been left with egg on his face after changing his opinion on Casemiro. The former right-back initially had huge question marks over the signing of the Brazil international.
Casemiro has proven to be one of United's best signings in recent years. After failing to land Frenkie de Jong last summer, the Red Devils splashed out on Casemiro.
United paid an initial £60million with a potential £10m in add-ons. The deal was questioned due to the player's age, with a five-year contract handed out despite him turning 31 in February.
Shortly after Casemiro signed, Neville claimed it showed a scattergun approach from the club's owners the Glazers after missing out on preferred targets. The pundit said Casemiro was given far too long a contract.
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Speaking in August, Neville said on Sky Sports: "Every other club is really precise, you don't see them bouncing around like a pinball in the transfer market, from one player to the other. It's De Jong, to [PSG's Adrien] Rabiot and then it ends up being Casemiro on a phenomenal contract that will cost the club £160m.
"I have to say I think he will do well for the club for a couple of years, Casemiro. But someone in two years' time is going to pick up a player that is going to be beyond his best years, on £20m a year, that they can't shift.
"That might be Erik ten Hag, that might be a new manager, that might be new owners. There is a large element of desperation in the signing because a five-year contract for a 30-year-old should not happen. When you're desperate you pay over the odds, I suppose."
However, Neville has conceded he was wrong. Casemiro put in a man-of-the-match display in Sunday's Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle.
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He scored the opener as United ended their six-year wait for a trophy. And Neville admitted he had was wrong to doubt him.
He said on commentary: "Did he [Casemiro] come to the club for the holidays or the money? Absolutely not. He was exceptional."
Neville's former team-mate Roy Keane was also full of praise for Casemiro. He commented: "He’s amazing and you have to get up close to him and see how good he is.
"He now understands the English game and if you look at the Players at United, it looks like it is the first trophy that they have won, and these Players are used to winning these trophies."
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