'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Casemiro
Casemiro is Madrid's 'destroyer'
He may not be the most celebrated Real Madrid player, but over the course of 2017, Casemiro’s value to the club has become entirely apparent. Indeed, the defensive midfielder has grown to become one of the stalwarts of Zinedine Zidane’s side, offering valuable balance to a team replete with attacking talent.
Sitting in front of the defence, the 25-year-old offers protection that is lacking when he does not feature and is often most noticeable when he is not playing. Indeed, if it were not for the odd thumping strike from range, he would be a player who passed by largely unheralded, yet his contribution to the cause has now been widely noted.
Of course, it was helped when he scored what proved to be the winner in the Champions League final, hitting a deflected shot past Gianluigi Buffon as Real Madrid won their second successive title thanks to a 4-1 win.
Given his contribution in the run, it was a fitting climax to the competition for the former Porto player. He scored twice and added two more assists in the knockout phase, contributing meaningfully in this regard in every round as he made his way to becoming a bona fide star for the first time.
