Bruno Fernandes faces competition to be next Man Utd captain as team-mate throws hat in ring to replace Harry Maguire
CASEMIRO is ready to fight it out with Bruno Fernandes to be Manchester United’s next captain.
Boss Erik ten Hag has been weighing up who should be the Red Devils’ skipper next season, with Harry Maguire likely to be stood down.
Portuguese Fernandes is favourite to get the armband but his fellow midfielder Casemiro also sees himself as a leader.
The Brazil ace, 31, picked up a wealth of experience during nearly a decade at Real Madrid and admits he enjoys being one of the main men.
He said: “I like having this role. Being a leader, caring, being like a father, going after things.
“I like to set an example, be the first to arrive. I like to play this role.
“The captain’s armband is nothing more than a symbol but the players have the responsibility to talk to the referee, to the players.
“I like to be that example player.”
Casemiro also revealed how the chance to leave Madrid and join United last summer came at a perfect time for him.
He agreed to the £60million move after helping the Spanish giants to Champions League glory just three months earlier.
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He told Brazilian sports magazine Placar: “It was the chance to leave a big club on top, at an age that still allows me to have that willpower.
“If it were two or three years from now, I wouldn’t leave Real Madrid to go to another big one. I wouldn’t have that ambition to change leagues and leverage another giant club.”
But Casemiro is loving the challenge of the Premier League and said: “It’s exactly what I thought.
“The main thing is that there is no easy game here — first place plays last and is not sure of winning.”