Van the man in great shape

Ruud van Nistelrooy has sent a chilling message to anxious Premiership defenders - he is in better shape than he was 12 months ago.

The Dutch striker bagged 36 goals during his first season with the Old Trafford giants and, along with skipper Roy Keane, was one of only two exceptions to manager Alex Ferguson’s claim that his team vastly under-performed last term.