Maturing Rooney back to his best for United

AS Wayne Rooney becomes a man, celebrating his 21st birthday, it is perhaps fitting that he will have the first crisis of his career already behind him.

The feeding frenzy over Rooney and his apparent loss of form has been taken to ferocious lengths because it coincides with England’s wobble in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. No wonder there is no escape from the spotlight for the 20-year-old.

Rooney is happiest on the football pitch, however, and despite extending his miserable run in front of goal to a mere two goals in his last seventeen games for club and country, the Liverpudlian showed once and for all against Paul Jewell’s team that Wayne Rooney is a huge force of good for United.

Jewell admitted: “Rooney was sensational. He is a fantastic player ability-wise, but he’s also got unbelievable desire and he is a fantastic example to any young person who wants to be in the game. Anyone that has criticised Wayne Rooney doesn’t know the game because he would get in any team in the world. Even those with just a modicum of nous about football will know that, even when he is not playing well, he is still a world-class player.

Rooney was forced to take a back-seat in the early stages of this game, though, as Wigan made a vibrant start and raced into a fourth minute lead through Leighton Baines’ spectacular free-kick.

It was a terrific goal and the home side should have extended their lead through Denny Landzaat and Arjan de Zeeuw as United struggled to find their feet. It was not until Rooney tested goalkeeper Chris Kirkland with a near-post snapshot on 18 minutes that the visitors threatened.

Kirkland saved well on that occasion, but he was totally helpless when Rooney turned Baines and unleashed a fierce shot that crashed against the crossbar moments later.

Luck was not on Rooney’s side, but it all changed following the introduction of Ryan Giggs from the bench at half-time. Giggs, back to fitness after a hamstring injury, occupied the left midfield slot and allowed Rooney to move alongside Louis Saha as a conventional striker. The move transformed United, put Wigan on the back foot and enabled Rooney and Giggs to tear the home side apart.

Three good chances went begging before Nemanja Vidic hauled United level on 62 minutes with a powerful header from Giggs’s corner. Four minutes later, it was Rooney’s turn to act as provider when his cross for Saha was brilliantly controlled by the Frenchman before he guided the ball into the net off the far post.

The third goal came two minutes into stoppage time when Solskjaer turned Fitz Hall inside out before aiming a left-foot into the bottom corner.

Glowed Ferguson: “It was his best performance in a United shirt this season. There have been signs that he’s getting back to his best and he showed what he’s about today. With Rooney and Saha up-front and Giggs and Paul Scholes behind them, we are a real threat going forward.”

Opta Fact: Wigan have only kept one clean sheet in the last 15 Premiership matches

Opta Fact: Only one team (Reading) has taken any points off United in any of the last 18 league games where the Red Devils have scored.