FA Cup final: Pep Guardiola picks out Manchester United star for proving doubters wrong

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has described Casemiro as a “special player” ahead of taking on the Brazilian in the FA Cup final.

Questions were raised about the Manchester United player’s decision to leave Real Madrid for Old Trafford in an initial £60million deal last summer yet Guardiola feels he has proven those doubters wrong.

Erik ten Hag has made Casemiro a stalwart in the middle of his team to leave the City boss in no doubt of his abilities.

“I don’t know him but I had info when he was in Madrid; how professional he was, the quality he has," Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

“I was convinced he wasn’t coming here just for his holidays or the last years of his career.

“When you’ve won four or five Champions Leagues with Real Madrid it’s because you are special player. Otherwise you cannot be there for a long time.”

Guardiola also picked out United manager Ten Hag for praise ahead of Saturday’s showdown at Wembley, noting that he can relate to how difficult it can be to adapt to English football from the dugout.

”I identify a manager by how they are improving, just to see when he arrives and now,” he said.

“To see the team getting better and better, that is not easy in the first season. I identify a really good manager, a part of that is a guy who represents our profession in the best way possible on the pitch and off the pitch.

“I cannot say we are friends, we are not in touch much. We had a short experience in [Bayern] Munich but I think honestly United have an exceptional manager for many years.”