Nicky Butt admits he was WRONG to write off Casemiro and hails his 'amazing' impact on Manchester United since his £70m arrival… insisting he'd love to play with the Brazilian star
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Manchester United treble winner Nicky Butt has admitted he was wrong about the club's Brazilian midfielder Casemiro and now wishes he could have played with him.
Casemiro, 31, has guided United through their most impressive season for a decade after arriving for £60m last summer from Real Madrid.
The transfer was questioned by many at the time and Butt admits he was one of the doubters. But the 48-year-old – who left his post as United's head of first team development two years ago - now feels the Brazilian has proved his worth.
'I didn't think he took it to it that well when he started,' Butt told Sportsmail.
'I thought he looked heavy and sluggish. I don't know if he had trained well before he came. I wasn't sure he could run.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/03/08/68293349-11815837-image-a-12_1677832834182.jpg)
Nicky Butt admitted he was wrong about Casemiro and wishes he could have played with him
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/03/08/68293351-11815837-image-a-13_1677832843213.jpg)
The Man United treble winner revealed he had doubts about the £60m signing of the Brazilian
'But what he's done since he took off after three or four games has been amazing. Man of the match every week. He's a bit of an old throwback midfielder.
'I must admit I thought he was an ageing player leaving one big club and coming to another one for money, if I am honest. But what he has done, he looks like a proper leader, a proper guy.
'I always look at people and think I would like to play with him and he is one of them. Kevin de Bruyne is another. I love de Bruyne. He looks like a top guy, a top player. Same as Vincent Kompany when he was there at Man City.
'Even though you don't like the team they play for, you would still want them in your team.'
Butt, a central midfielder for a decade under Sir Alex Ferguson, is impressed with United's recovery under new manager Erik ten Hag but believes they need another summer of good recruitment if they are establish themselves as Premier League title contenders once again.
'If you know football would you say they are back?' Butt asked.
'I wouldn't say United are back. I don't want to sound bitter because what Ten Hag is doing is great but they have to kick on and get better.
![Butt is impressed with United's progress under Erik ten Hag but believes they need another summer of good recruitment if they are establish themselves as title contenders once again](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/03/08/68293185-0-image-a-3_1677831476492.jpg)
Butt is impressed with United's progress under Erik ten Hag but believes they need another summer of good recruitment if they are establish themselves as title contenders once again
![He also hailed the no-nonsense approach the Dutchman has brought with him to Old Trafford](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/03/03/08/68293201-0-image-a-4_1677831481174.jpg)
He also hailed the no-nonsense approach the Dutchman has brought with him to Old Trafford
'For me being fourth is not Man United. I remember we used to finish second and were told if it happened again the next season we would be sold.
'You can always say it's the old days but that was the mentality of the club back then. If you were gonna finish second you may as well finish seventh.
'Ten Hag seems to be the man and has it all sorted out, not taking any c**p. Knows what he wants and seems to have the respect of people above him to let him make decisions. So all that's great.
'The players I still think there are some good ones in there but the recruitment team has a big job on its hands to get to the next level.'
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