Wayne Can Surpass Ronaldo

Former Reds striker Andrew Cole reckons Wayne Rooney has every chance of bettering Cristiano Ronaldo’s 42-goal haul of two seasons ago.

Rooney’s well-taken brace against Fulham on Sunday took him to 32 for the season and he has a possible 13 more games in which to overhaul the Portuguese winger's 2007/08 tally.

Cole believes the mark won’t be at the forefront of Rooney’s mind, but that the striker is now in a great position to achieve a feat which seemed improbable only a few weeks ago.

“Wayne’s priority will be trying to win the Premier League again, and to fire United to another European Cup, so it won’t be top of his agenda,” Cole told ManUtd.com.

“But there are eight league games to go and if he keeps scoring at his current rate, he’s got a great chance.”

Rooney has hit 24 goals in the last 22 games of United’s three-pronged trophy assault. And as a former striker himself, it’s apparent to Cole that the Reds’ number 10 is playing with supreme confidence – an ominous sign for any opposition defence.

Cole said: “It’s hard to know what else to say about the boy! He must go out there every game, look at who he’s up against and believe he has a good chance of scoring.

“It’s great to go into games thinking that, because football is all about confidence, especially for strikers.

“He’s playing some great football and has been very consistent. He’s in a fantastic vein of form and long may it continue.”

With only two points separating the top three, it’s shaping up to be the a thrilling finish to the title race. But Cole believes United’s Premier League pedigree could give the champions the edge over Chelsea and Arsenal.

“It’s always important to have experience of title races, because it feels like familiar ground,” Cole added. “Mentally and physically you know what it’s going to take out of you.

“United’s players definitely thrive on the pressure – that’s why they are playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"The title race is hotting up and could go down to the wire, but I think United have more than enough in the locker to go on and win it.”