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Kieran Trippier has shocked Manchester United fans by claiming that his England teammate Declan Rice is a better player than Casemiro.
The Newcastle United fullback spoke on Rio Ferdinand’s Vibe with Five podcast and was effusive in his praise for the West Ham captain.
“I don’t know if you watched the game the other day when we played West Ham, but just his intelligence, the way he divides the game and how he travels with it, and how powerful he is.
“Incredible, probably one of the best in the world at what he does.”
Asked if he thought Rice was better than Casemiro, he dryly replied, “Yes,” to some laughter from the group.
“As defenders like you or me, you appreciate Michael Carrick, or what Declan does,” Trippier finally explained.
“So it makes their job easier when they’re just cleaning everything up.
“Don’t get me wrong, Casemiro, the trophies he’s won, the Champions League, he’s a world-class player, but if you’re talking right now, Decs is incredible.”
Declan Rice is undoubtedly a fantastic player and Man United considered signing last summer, although the £100m price tag set by the Hammers saw that interest come to a halt.
But Casemiro’s instant impact has left Old Trafford confident their choice ended up being the right one.
That’s not to mention the Brazilian’s excellent performances on the highest stages of a decade in La Liga, the Champions League and now the Premier League.
It is also notable that Rice typically plays alongside ‘number eight’ style midfielders, such as Thomas Soucek at club level, or both Jordan Henderson and Jude Bellingham at international level.
Most midfields have a similar composition, of course, which only makes Casemiro’s ability to sustain the defensive end of a midfield with extremely attacking players in front of him all the more impressive.
In Madrid, he brought the can to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, two players much more interested in the ‘on the ball’ side of the game.
Now at United, he had regularly blocked midfield with Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen, the bona fide number ten.
One wonders how Kieran Trippier will feel about Casemiro after the Carabao Cup final.
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