Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney is on the brink of rediscovering his goalscoring form ahead of tonight’s showdown with Arsenal.
Rooney, who netted 34 times last season, has scored just two penalties during the current campaign which has been overshadowed by off-field issues and a dramatic U-turn over a new contract.
But speaking ahead of the clash with title rivals Arsenal, Ferdinand claimed the 25-year-old is close to regaining the form that saw him terrorise defences last season.
He said: “Everyone knows what happened over the last couple of weeks beforehand but Wayne's come back and he's looking sharp.
“He didn't score in our last game but he looked sharp and set up a good number of chances for other people.
“It's only a matter of time before he scores and then goes on one of those runs where he scores loads of goals.
“Just having him back around the place in a good mood is fantastic. He's a great lad to have around and long may it continue."
The Old Trafford encounter is the first game of a hugely important double-header for United, who then face reigning champions Chelsea on Sunday.
And Ferdinand believes the two fixtures will play a key role in the race for the title.
He added: “Arsenal and Chelsea are very big games for us. We're playing two of the teams at the top of the league back-to-back. They'll be hard games but games we all enjoy playing in."