Casemiro issues immediate response as Gary Neville calls him one of Man United’s worst signings

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has been proved wrong after Casemiro played a significant role in Wednesday's win over Leicester.

The Brazilian netted twice as United cruised to a 5-2 victory in the Carabao Cup round of 16. He was among several players who stepped up their game under interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, resulting in the team's most decisive win of the season so far.

It was the ex-Real Madrid anchor who kicked off the scoring with a stunning 30-yard strike into the top-right corner. He then followed up his own blocked shot to score from close quarters and extend United's lead to 4-1 in front of a crowd of 73,500.

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The Mirror reported how the fans acknowledged Casemiro's game-changing performance by deservedly voting him the Player of the Match. Despite some lacklustre performances since joining United two years ago, the 32-year-old was on top form as United appeared to turn a corner.

And Casemiro's display was well-timed if he was looking to refute recent comments made by Neville concerning his time at Old Trafford. Following Erik ten Hag's dismissal on Monday, the former United right-back labelled Casemiro as potentially one of the club's worst signings.

"The performances have been really poor this season, the results have been shocking, the league position is terrible," Neville commented on It's Called Soccer!. "His legacy is definitely winning two trophies in two seasons through a very difficult point. The recruitment to be fair has been appalling for ten years and he's been a victim of that himself.

"I think he oversaw two of the worst transfers Manchester United will ever have made in the signings of Casemiro and Antony. They were signed for £140-150m in a panic after the Brentford and Brighton losses. I hope I'm wrong, I hope Casemiro can do a great job for the club for four or five years and I hope Antony comes good."

The South American had an impressive debut season with the Red Devils before experiencing a dip in form last term - though he wasn't the only one. His contribution provided Van Nistelrooy with the ideal start as caretaker boss, even if his stint proves brief.

While Antony - who cost the club a whopping £85million - is still battling to prove his worth at United, Casemiro has enjoyed periods of consistent form since they both joined the club in 2022. Fans will be hoping Wednesday's performance marks the beginning of another successful streak for the latter.

The expectation is that Van Nistelrooy will depart the club if Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim arrives as Ten Hag's permanent successor. However, Casemiro will aim to maintain this new momentum no matter who's in charge.