MANCHESTER UNITED have confirmed that new signing Casemiro will wear the number 18 shirt at Old Trafford.
The former Real Madrid midfielder, 30, was signed by the Red Devils for £70million and unveiled in front of the supporters before their win over Liverpool on Monday night.
And it has now been revealed that he will take the No18 jersey – a shirt worn for more than a decade by club legend Paul Scholes.
Since the England midfielder left United for the first time in 2011, Ashley Young and Bruno Fernandes have also gone on to be No18 for the Red Devils.
But Fernandes switched to the No8 this summer, leaving 18 free for Casemiro.
And the five-time Champions League winner has said he idolised Scholes growing up.
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Man Utd’s club website asked him which midfielders he has looked up to during his career, to which he replied: “Well, there are many players.
“I think there are players that you remember in your life. So, in terms of idols in this position my idol growing up was always [Zinedine] Zidane, [but] here at Manchester United, it was always Paul Scholes.
“He’s a player that was small but he got stuck in, he was a fighter, he gave everything on the pitch.
“His passing over 50 to 70 metres was incredible. Manchester United have always [had] good players in that position.
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“[Michael] Carrick was also a great player so I think that Manchester United have always had good players in that position and in midfield.
“The little guy [Scholes] was very good and what I loved about him when he played was that he was small but he went in hard and fair.”
Casemiro could make his United debut away at Southampton on Saturday lunchtime as Erik ten Hag’s side look to build on their win over Liverpool.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
