Alex Ferguson breaks silence to praise 'back at his best' Wayne Rooney
With the brace against Bayer Leverkusen in United's Champions League opener, Rooney's tally at the club rose to 200 in 406 appearances, leaving him fourth on United's all-time leading scorers' list behind Bobby Charlton (249), Denis Law (237) and Jack Rowley (211).
Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has broken his post-retirement silence to praise Wayne Rooney for his start to the season, saying the England striker is "back to what we always remember."
Rooney's future at United was shrouded in uncertainty during the summer after falling out of favor last season with Ferguson, who revealed before retiring in May that the player had lodged a transfer request.
Chelsea made two bids for Rooney over the offseason but United refused to countenance selling him and is reaping the rewards, with Rooney scoring three times in his last two games.
In an interview on Thursday with United's in-house television station, Ferguson says Rooney has "got his energy back, the determination, his purpose to attack players. ... Being a director, I'm delighted to see that.
"He's back to what we always remember him as."
With the brace against Bayer Leverkusen in United's Champions League opener, Rooney's tally at the club rose to 200 in 406 appearances, leaving him fourth on United's all-time leading scorers' list behind Bobby Charlton (249), Denis Law (237) and Jack Rowley (211).
"We will have a fantastic chance [of success] because in Van Persie and Rooney, you have forwards who can win you games," said Ferguson, who led United to their 20th English title last season.