"I was really surprised" - Casemiro claims Manchester United teammate can become one of the best players in the world

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has claimed that Marcus Rashford can become one of the best players in the world.

The Brazilian is impressed by his Red Devils teammate, who was the difference maker in the side's 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (December 31).

Rashford, 25, stepped off the bench at half-time after being dropped by Erik ten Hag for internal disciplinary reasons. He then scored a delightful solo goal in the 76th minute, gifting Ten Hag's men all three points.

Casemiro gave a glowing verdict of Rashford in an interview with ESPN Brazil, claiming to have been wowed by the Englishman:

"I'm going to be very honest with you, I was really surprised by the player that Rashford is. In my opinion, especially knowing the player off the pitch, if he does well he can be one of the five best players in the world."

Rashford's goal against Wolves takes his tally for the season to 11 goals and four assists in 22 appearances across competitions.

The Manchester United forward also shone for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring three goals in five appearances. He has been at Old Trafford for the entirety of his career, scoring 104 goals and providing 61 assists in 325 games.

The Red Devils have shown their eagerness for Rashford to secure his long-term future at the club by triggering the one-year contract extension in his deal. He's tied to Old Trafford till 2024.

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Manchester City legend Stuart Pearce slams Manchester United's Antony after his performance against Wolves

Antony struggled against Wolves.

A Manchester United player who disappointed against Wolves was Brazilian winger Antony. He arrived at Old Trafford from Ajax in the summer for around £86 million.

Antony arrived with big expectations amid his big-money move but is perhaps the one Ten Hag signing that has failed to impress so far. He has made 14 appearances, scoring three goals which arrived in his first three consecutive league appearances.

The Brazilian became the first Red Devils player in the club's history to achieve the feat. However, Antony has come off the boil, and his outing against Wolves was lambasted by Pearce. The City great explained on talkSPORT how the Manchester United forward annoys him with his style of play:

“He irritates the life out of me. Every time he gets the ball, he points to his teammates and tells them what they should do."

Pearce added:

“I saw recently that Ten Hag and Fernandes said he would be a really good player if he listened. He’s certainly doing more talking than listening right now.”

Antony had three shots, two on target against Wolves. He didn't manage one successful cross in three attempts. The Brazilian also lost possession 21 times.