Casemiro's Old Trafford farewell is about the fans, not just the numbers

Casemiro is set to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, and his last home game is likely to come against Nottingham Forest. He has returned to training ahead of that match. The noise around the farewell is being shaped less by what he has won than by what he has said about the supporters.

Why the fans matter most in Casemiro's goodbye

Casemiro was blunt about it in his recent comments. "Honestly I feel so happy, especially for the affection from the fans, and the respect they have for me," he said. "I am hoping not to cry on my last day as it is such a beautiful experience... I will be a United fan for the rest of my life."

He made the same point more directly elsewhere, saying: "For me, the best thing in this club is the fans." That is the line that should frame his farewell. This is not being presented as a trophy parade or a stat-chasing send-off, even if his season has been a productive one.

The numbers still matter. Casemiro has scored a career-best nine goals this season, and he has reached 33 Premier League appearances. For a midfielder, that is a full campaign and a useful one, not a cameo to be filed away at the end of the year.

A farewell with a season behind it

The nine-goal return gives the goodbye extra weight, because it has not been a quiet final chapter. Casemiro has also been back in training ahead of the Nottingham Forest fixture, which increases the chance that he adds to those league outings before the season closes.

United announced that Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte were both back in training on Wednesday. That gives Michael Carrick more flexibility in midfield as United continue pushing for third place.

That league target is still alive, and it is a decent backdrop for a farewell night at Old Trafford. But the story here is still the same one Casemiro told himself: the fans are what he wants to remember most.

If he does feature against Nottingham Forest, it will be his final home appearance for the club. The rest of the season can still add a few more appearances, but the emotional centre of the story is already fixed.