'The wrecking ball that is Wayne Rooney swung devastatingly through European defences again last night. Ninety-six days after he limped away from Euro 2004, the English prodigy marked his Manchester United debut with a wonderful hat-trick – the first of his short career – and a collection of assured touches that exuded class. Inspired by Rooney and also graced by goals from Ryan Giggs, Ruud van Nistelrooy and David Bellion, this Group D victory equalled United's biggest Champions League success, a 6-2 triumph at Brondby six years ago. Yet it felt a new era was dawning yesterday – the age of Rooney.
When the £27 million man bent in a free-kick for his hat-trick just before the hour-mark, the ground reverberated to ironic cries of "what a waste of money". The metatarsal in the left foot damaged at Euro 2004 appeared in robust shape as Rooney rammed it into the ball after 16 minutes, brilliantly climaxing a move largely created by a wonderful, defence-splicing through pass from Van Nistelrooy. This was what Ferguson had invested £27 million in: Rooney combining instinctively with Van Nistelrooy, two outstanding international performers working so rewardingly on the same wavelength.
What options present themselves to Ferguson. Alan Smith may have started this season superbly, striking goal after goal and impressing everyone with his commitment to the cause while Louis Saha brings pace and penetration, but the Rooney-Van Nistelrooy axis is clearly Ferguson's first choice.
Rooney tends to score on his debut. This time, something special was planned and enacted. Ferguson had been enthusing about how two-footed the young Merseysider is, and after the theorising, a bewitched United audience was treated to the practical. Having let the ball run across him, Rooney connected meatily with that right foot. Again, the England international deployed little backlift, allowing him to catch out Recber Rustu with the suddenness of the strike which crashed past the experienced Turkish goalkeeper. United's first-half speed of movement was simply too much for Fenerbahce, who were gasping for breath even before Rooney came calling.
(Though ) United could have done with Keane's calming influence and vocal leadership in a tense second period.'