Cole: Wayne's A Winner

Andrew Cole has given Wayne Rooney the perfect pick-me-up after the derby defeat at Eastlands – by backing him to fire the Reds to more silverware.

In an interview with ManUtd.com, United legend Cole expressed his admiration for the Reds’ number ten and his effervescent approach to the game.

“I think Wayne has been awesome so far this season,” Cole told us.

“In the early part of the season, he made it known that he’d have to step up after Cristiano Ronaldo left and I think he’s done that with great character, great ability.

“The way he plays it looks as though he’s saying to everyone, ‘I want to be the man, I want to try and propel United forward to win even more trophies.’

“If he keeps playing the way he’s playing, I’d like to think he can do just that.”

Rooney almost scored his 17th goal of the season on Tuesday night, when he weaved through the City defence before forcing a stunning save from Shay Given. It was the kind of effort that Cole has come to expect from United’s current top scorer.

“That’s what people want to see him do – drop his shoulder, knock the ball past someone and put one in the top bin (top corner). I think he prefers to do that rather than poach one from close range,” assessed Cole.

“If you were to ask Wayne himself, he’d probably tell you he’s not a fox in the box. He’s not the type of player who’ll just play between the 18-yard and six-yard lines. He wants to be everywhere - left wing, right wing and chasing back to help defend.

“Wayne wants to get involved in the play and for me, that’s what he’s best at.”

Cole feels Rooney’s all-action approach typifies the current generation of strikers in the Barclays Premier League. The ex-Red says the archetypal centre-forward scoring in the high twenties and thirties – Cole scored 34 for Newcastle in 1993/94 – are a thing of the past, at least for now.

“Looking at the Premier League now, it seems to get harder and harder every season to get 20 league goals. There aren’t many out-and-out ‘number nines’ now who say, ‘I just want to play in the area and score goals for my team.’

“Everyone wants to be a ‘number ten’ and get involved. That’s just the way the game is, but it moves in cycles, and it will surely go around again.”