Casemiro explains why he swapped Madrid for Manchester United

It was a sad day for Real Madrid when Carlos Henrique Casemiro announced he would be leaving the club after seven seasons. After winning a staggering 18 trophies with the Spanish giants, the midfielder made the move to the Premier League, signing for Manchester United.

Now, the 31-year-old has explained the decision he made, as he looked for a new challenge. In an interview with 'Placar', Casemiro claimed that "it was the ideal opportunity to leave a great club (Real Madrid) at the top, at an age that still allows [him] to have that hunger to continue winning".

He also admitted that it was the make or break moment, and "If it had been two or three years from now, [he] wouldn't have left Real Madrid to go to another big one, I wouldn't have that ambition to change leagues and leverage another giant club".

In his first season with the Red Devils, the Brazilian played 51 matches, scoring seven goals and providing six assists, as he helped his team to a 3rd place Premier League finish and a Carabao Cup title.