Casemiro is excited about the start of the Ruben Amorim era at Manchester United after hearing positive assessments of the club’s new 39-year-old head coach.

Amorim begins work at Carrington on Monday after signing off from Sporting in style. His side recovered from 2-0 down to win 4-2 in a thrilling comeback at Braga, which means he leaves the club top of their domestic league with 11 wins from 11, and on course for a third title in five seasons.

That run of success came after the club had gone 19 years without winning the league. Amorim has restored them to the top of the tree and returned Sporting to being part of Portugal’s big three, along with Porto and Benfica. He now faces a similar task at Old Trafford. United have gone 11 years without a title and given he takes over a team languishing in 13th, that drought will soon hit a dozen years.

But his body of work in Lisbon hints at a coach who knows what it takes to change the fortunes of a club, and that is why Casemiro is looking forward to working under Amorim.

“We have not spoken, but everyone speaks so well of him. Above all he is very true, very loyal,” the Brazilian midfielder said.

“We cannot ignore how he has changed Sporting. We know that Sporting won many titles, changed the club with titles, with trophies. He has already proved that he coach that has won a lot.

“I think there is going to be a good template that everyone wants to grow, everyone wants to learn. I think that is the way to first help us grow to be at the top of the table.”

Amorim takes over a squad starting to grow in confidence again after Ruud van Nistelrooy’s successful caretaker stint. In his four games in charge, he oversaw three wins and a draw.

Casemiro had spoken to Real Madrid colleagues about the former striker, who spent five years plundering goals at Old Trafford before a move to the Bernabeu. He praised the impact Van Nistelrooy made in his two weeks in charge and urged the side to maintain momentum as they prepare for the most hectic spell of the season.

“I honestly enjoyed it a lot. Everyone in Madrid that I had asked before said he was a great person so I was not surprised,” the 32-year-old said of Van Nistelrooy.

“From the minute one to spoke to us and told us to always enjoy it, always to be happy always, to take advantage of the moment to play for Manchester. We often forget, don’t we?

“But he was a legend at Manchester United. he was a legend at Madrid. He is a legend of number nines. It was a pleasure. It was a pleasure to share that moment with him. We do not know if he will stay or not, but it was a pleasure to share the dressing room with him.

“Of course we have to keep improving. We have the players to do that. We have to keep growing. We are in a good dynamic. Now comes the international break then the most important part of the season, when there are many matches and when all players are needed.

“We are seeing players injured [returning], so that is important. That is important because now, after the break, we have the most difficult stretch of the season.”