In one of Casemiro’s final interviews while at Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand asks the Brazilian who he considers to be the loudest voices at the club.The pair are stood in the Old Trafford dressing room as the midfielder, a five-time Champions League winner, mentions Diogo Dalot and, of course, captain Bruno Fernandes.Ferdinand is almost taken aback when Casemiro turns to look for the spot of another unlikely leader, third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton.His answer in the Rio Meets interview will go some way to explaining why United gave the 40-year-old goalkeeper a new one-year contract last week.“Tom Heaton is very important for us — he pushes the training, he pushes before the game, he doesn’t play but he pushes every time,” said Casemiro.“Every dressing room needs one Tom. Everyone needs this guy because he helps in the room so much.”Considering the status of Casemiro, that is a serious compliment. He is far from the only one who has the same opinion.Academy graduate Heaton has made just three first-team appearances for United since he returned to the club in 2021 after leaving Aston Villa. The last of those was the Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg win against Nottingham Forest in February 2023. He can claim to have not conceded a first-team goal in five years at the club.His impact, though, has been more significant off the pitch. That is why United have not hesitated in extending his deal, keeping him as the third-choice goalkeeper again next season.As Casemiro pointed out, Heaton ensures standards are maintained. He came through the club’s academy and into the first-team dressing room when United were among the best teams in Europe and Sir Alex Ferguson was leading them to trophy after trophy.Ferdinand admitted in his interview with Casemiro that United’s stars were hard on the young Heaton back then. They would drill into him the standards that have to be met in terms of preparation and performance level, not just in games but also in training, even if he never made a first-team appearance during that first spell.It is something he has carried with him throughout his career. He had six loan spells before moving to Cardiff City in 2010, then Bristol City, before joining Burnley, where he established himself by making 200 appearances and also earning three England caps.During his time at Turf Moor, one figure at the club described him as a “leader of men”. He was part of Sean Dyche’s leadership group and known for being demanding in training of team-mates in terms of performance and behaviour, having a huge influence on younger players and being exceptionally organised, as well as being extremely well-liked.