Former Liverpool defender-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher has made a remarkable U-turn against Casemiro, admitting that “football hasn’t left him” after the Brazilian starred in Manchester United’s dramatic 3-2 win over Fulham. Carragher’s reassessment comes months after he openly questioned whether Casemiro was still cut out for Premier League football.
Speaking to Sky Sports after United’s 3-2 win against Fulham on Sunday, Carragher acknowledged that his earlier criticism no longer holds true, with Casemiro producing performances akin to the elite midfielder United thought they had signed.
“Now it’s fair to say football hasn’t left him. With what he’s been producing this season in the Premier League, and not just at Fulham at home, you think what he did last week against Arsenal away and Manchester City at home,” he said.
With a touch of self-deprecating humour, Carragher said Casemiro’s recent run of form called for a re-evaluation.
“Casemiro has the right if he wants to come back at me and say: ‘leave the prison before the jailer leaves you!’ He could definitely get one of them back. He has to be thanked for looking like a completely different player,” said Carragher.
“He looks like a different player physically. Even though I said that, you looked at him and he looked like an old man who’s coming to the end of his playing career and whether he’s letting himself go a bit or he’s ultra-professional now, physically he looks completely different,” he added.
What did Carragher say about Casemiro first?
The praise was in stark contrast to Carragher’s stance in May 2024, when he was brutally critical of Casemiro after a heavy defeat at Crystal Palace, suggesting the midfielder’s legs were gone and it might be time to retire from top-flight football. By that stage, Casemiro’s form had noticeably dropped and he seemed out of step with the pace of the league.
Fast forward to this season and the narrative has flipped. Casemiro has been one of Manchester United’s most consistent players, rolling back the years with impressive displays in midfield. Against Fulham on Sunday, the 33-year-old dominated midfield, opening the scoring in the 19th minute and then assisting United for a second time.
Man United continue their winning streak
The match itself was a thriller. United went 2-0 up through Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, but Fulham staged a late comeback with Raul Jimenez’s penalty to equalize in stoppage time. Just when the two points seemed to have slipped away, substitute Benjamin Sesko struck deep into extra time to seal a 3-2 win and send Old Trafford into raptures.
The win continued United’s revival under interim manager Michael Carrick, moving them up to fourth in the Premier League table, with Chelsea a point back in fifth.
Casemiro, who confirmed it in January will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, has started all three games under Carrick and looks reinvigorated. For a player once written off by one of his most vocal critics, this late-career revival has not only helped United push for Champions League football, but also prompted a rare and public re-evaluation from Jamie Carragher himself.
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 2, 2026
