"We've always recognised that Wayne is a big-game player," said Fergie. "That was obvious from his performances at Euro 2004 last summer. He's a natural for the big occasion. You sometimes wonder with young players how are they going to cope in front of 67,000 at Old Trafford. But players like Wayne don't think that way. They think 'this is the stage I've always wanted to play on'. It doesn't faze him, he thrives on it. And with the games we've got coming up in all four competitions, it's very healthy for us that he's coming into his best form."
Ferguson is not too worried that Rooney is missing goal chances, instead he wants the player to concentrate on settling in to a rhythm:
"He's already equalled his tally of nine for Everton last season and could double that total before the end of the season."