Casemiro said the qualities of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric made it "easy" to star in Real Madrid's midfield ahead of his move to Manchester United, as he backed Los Blancos to replace him from within.
The Brazil international is joining United in a deal reportedly worth an initial £60million (€70m), having won an incredible 18 trophies during a nine-year spell with Madrid.
Casemiro lifted the Champions League on five occasions during his time in the Spanish capital, and produced a masterful performance as Carlo Ancelotti's team clinched their 14th European crown against Liverpool in May.
Modric, Kroos and Casemiro have been key throughout one of the most successful spells in Madrid's history, starting together in four Champions League finals (in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022), and the 30-year-old admits he will miss the duo.
"All the titles that you win, all the training sessions, the games you play, they make you happy, just realising you are a Real Madrid player," Casemiro said at a news conference on Monday.
"This era, winning five Champions League titles, is a once in a lifetime experience and very special to me, something I'll never forget.
"Speaking about Kroos and Modric, they're my great friends, and apart from on the pitch I also think about them as two fantastic people and the great friends they've been to me.
"It's very easy to play alongside them, I don't have much work to do, I will give them all the credit for all the work they have done. Of course, I will miss them a lot.
"It was difficult to talk to them, like it was in my conversation with the president. Toni sent me a message at 4am, asking me if all the rumours were true.
"I'm really loyal to all of my team-mates, not just these two team-mates, but I have to be sincere with myself. If my time here is over, I have to take a step forward. I'm going to a great club, the biggest in the UK.
"I will always be a fan, celebrate Real Madrid's goals and titles, which they will continue to win, no doubt about it. Real Madrid players are the best in the world and it's the best club in the world – it will always be like that for me."
With Kroos absent through illness, Madrid fielded a new-look midfield as they made it two wins from two outings in LaLiga by thrashing Celta Vigo 4-1 on Saturday, with Eduardo Camavinga and recent arrival Aurelien Tchouameni joining Modric in the starting line-up.
And Casemiro believes the presence of the two young French talents means Madrid may not need to replace him, adding: "Real Madrid is a club that always signs the best players in the world.
"Aurelien could also do the job, he's the kind of player that Madrid can rely on for many years to come. Toni and Modric will play at this high level but he can be a great asset as well.
"Camavinga already showed us how important he can be as well. Tchouameni is also a player that is very important, in the French national team as well.
"Real Madrid find themselves in a great place right now, they have great players and will continue to win important titles, that's what this club is about."
'Professional' Rangers thump Westdyke 24-1 in Scottish Cup third round
Rangers booked their place in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup in convincing fashion with a 24-1 away win over Westdyke on Sunday.
The Gers returned from the final international break of the year in style as they began the defence of the trophy they won for the first time in the club's history last season.
Kirsty Howat and Jane Ross scored five goals each, with Mia McAulay netting a hat-trick as well as a double for Sarah Ewens in her first minutes of the campaign.
There was also a competitive first-team debut for 15-year-old Lily Boyce, playing the entirety of the second half in the third round tie at Lawsondale Playing Fields.
"Obviously, we scored a lot of goals, disappointed with the one that we conceded, but job done really. We have spoken about habits before," assistant Jay Bradford said.
“It is about us maintaining our standards and making sure we are doing what we want to see from a staff perspective and I thought we did that for the most part."
There were also some big scorelines from the other 16 fixtures taking place on Sunday, with Celtic and Motherwell also sealing their place in the next round.
Celtic warmed up for their Champions League tie against Real Madrid on Wednesday by beating Glasgow Women 13-0, with Maria McAneny and Hana Kerner scoring hat-tricks.
Motherwell, meanwhile, dispatched second-tier side Rossvale 7-0, with seven different goalscorers on target at the Kirkintilloch Community Sports Complex
Mbappe: 'I know what I have to do to win Ballon d'Or'
Kylian Mbappe is confident he "will win" the Ballon d'Or, insisting he knows what he must do to land the prestigious individual accolade.
The Real Madrid forward has scored nine goals in his first 15 LaLiga appearances since joining Los Blancos from Paris Saint-Germain.
However, he has found the net just once in the opening five games of Madrid's Champions League defence.
The Champions League is the title that has eluded Mbappe over the years, with the 2018 World Cup winner coming closest when he helped PSG reach the 2019-20 final, before losing to Bayern Munich.
Nevertheless, the 25-year-old believes he is at the "best club" to win Europe's premier club competition, while there are other notable achievements on his wishlist.
"Which top trophy is left for me? The Champions League, that's why I’m at the best club," Mbappe told Canal+.
"And the Euros, and why not make it to the Olympics one day? Individual trophies count, too, like the Ballon d'Or. I know what I have to do to win it, a lot of things on and off the field. When I do everything I need to do to win it, I will win it."
Mbappe also addressed his recent omissions from Didier Deschamps' France squad for their Nations League campaign.
"The French national team has always been the highest level of football," he said. "My love for the French national team hasn't changed.
"Yes, I miss it, because I haven't been there for a long time. In September, I asked the coach not to go. I had just arrived in Madrid. I had a very short vacation. The coach insisted that I go.
"After October, I got injured, I wasn’t on the list. I was talking to them, and the coach told me it was better not to call me up. He's the boss, I'm behind him. I wanted to go, but I can't say why they didn't call me."
Atletico Madrid 4-3 Sevilla: Griezmann brace settles seven-goal thriller
Antoine Griezmann's second-half brace earned Atletico Madrid a stunning 4-3 victory over Sevilla in LaLiga on Sunday, claiming their ninth straight win in all competitions.
The result moved Diego Simeone's side up to third in the standings after 16 games so far, a point behind Real Madrid and three adrift of leaders Barcelona.
After Griezmann had rattled the crossbar early on, Atletico took the lead in the 10th minute through Rodrigo De Paul's fierce effort into the roof of Alvaro Fernandez's net.
But Sevilla responded just two minutes later, with Dodi Lukebakio levelling the scores before Isaac Romero rounded off a quick counter-attack with a fine finish.
Juanlu Sanchez then put the visitors two goals in front in the 57th minute, tucking the ball past Jan Oblak after being picked out by the influential Kike Salas.
But Atletico's comeback started five minutes later as Griezmann reduced the deficit before substitute Samuel Lino's effort from distance restored parity in the capital.
However, more drama would unfold after Griezmann gathered Lino's pass, firing the ball in off the crossbar in the fourth minute of second half stoppage time.
Data Debrief: The late late show
Atletico laid down a huge marker of their title credentials this season on Sunday, with their powers of recovery on show with their late turnaround on home soil.
And the hosts were worthy of their dramatic triumph, having registered an expected goals (xG) of 2.11 from their 14 shots compared to Sevilla's 0.39 from their four efforts.
Griezmann proved to be Atletico's saviour once again, with the Frenchman putting on an impressive display in the process. He registered the most shots on target (three) and touches in the opposition box (nine) for his side, while also accumulating a team-high xG tally of 0.76.
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