Rooney is in the same mould as Robson, Adams and Keane

‘I remember back in 2003 I was getting a bit of stick, and that wasn’t enjoyable. It was the first time I’d experienced it, so to win the league and end the season so strong was pleasing. It meant I’d got through it.

‘Since I turned 30 I’ve been more consistent. I’ve had to make some sacrifices — diet, alcohol, yoga. During my twenties, the odd game I played probably better than I do now, but consistently, over the season, I’ve got better the older I’ve got.’

Those quotes are from Ryan Giggs, talking in 2009 about his most difficult time on the pitch with Manchester United. That period came almost 10 years ago, in 2003, when he was booed by Manchester United fans and even received ironic cheers for his efforts. It is hard to imagine now but it is a short enough time ago for most people in football to be able to remember it.

It is remarkable how some perspective can throw light on a situation. We might judge people in the moment, but ultimately a 20-year career at a major club such as Manchester United is going to come with ups and downs and some flat periods of your life. And if you wanted confirmation of that, you would only need to speak to Giggs.

Tough times: Ryan Giggs misses with the goal gaping as Manchester United lost to Arsenal in the FA Cup in 2003

Which brings us to Wayne Rooney. Questions have been asked of him in the last few weeks. Is he quite the player he was? Is he threatened by the arrival of Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa at United? Will he perform for England in a major tournament after receiving a large amount of criticism for his World Cup performance in 2010 and going into Euro 2012 without a great deal of football?

I can remember periods of my own career when there were moments of insecurity, when people doubt you. But it’s going to happen if you spend a number of years at the top level. And sometimes you need a period out of the spotlight to recover your fitness and for your focus to revive.

Bizarrely, the horrific injury Wayne suffered five weeks ago against Fulham might have been a blessing in disguise. It allowed him to step off the roller-coaster and stopped people from judging him every three days on the basis of whether he was in the team or not. It allowed him to go back to pre-season training again, as his initial preparation before the season wouldn’t have been as intense as he would have liked because he had been playing in Euro 2012.

But over the past few weeks it looks to me as if the team of physios and sports scientists at United’s fitness department have beasted him in training.

Lean machine: Wayne Rooney looks back to his best following an unexpected break

Because when he started in the Capital One Cup against Newcastle 11 days ago, I saw a lean, fit, sharp player bristling with energy and aggression, like the street kid he once was. And he showed the same again when he came on against Tottenham last Saturday before those two great passes for Robin van Persie in the week against FC Cluj.

Footballers are at their best when life is uncomplicated and all they have to think about is the ball, the pitch and themselves and Wayne is no different. He lives for football, loves winning matches and plays with an edge of aggression because every tackle, every challenge matters to him.

In fact, he is perhaps one of the last of a dying breed of footballers in the mould of Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, Steven Gerrard and Tony Adams: players with enormous ability in their respective position but who have been formed by the upbringings in England and Ireland and by the British game to fight for every last cause.

There is brutality about him in his need to win, even in the comments he will make to team-mates. He expects everything to be of the highest standard and he will let you know if it isn’t.

Sometimes in life you need to be challenged, to be thrown out of your comfort zone. Maybe the arrival of Van Persie and Kagawa had had the effect of prodding him a little. He’s now 26, an age where players are at their peak and are expected to dominate games. But there aren’t many players in the world at the moment who can combine Rooney’s controlled aggression with his technical ability.

The way he looks now, it could just be that the injury against Fulham has helped to set him up for the season. And with the kind of physiological back-up and advice he has at United, there’s no reason to think he can’t go on and join the likes of Giggs in making 700 appearances for the club.

If he does do that, then he’ll probably have a few more periods in his career when he’s criticised and questioned. But at the end of it all, just as with Giggs, we might be incredulous that people ever doubted him.

Club legends: Rooney can follow Giggs in making over 700 appearances for United

Dortmund's Euro stars remind me of Barcelona

I knew on Wednesday when I arrived at the Etihad Stadium that, if both teams played to their potential, I was going to see a fantastic game of football.



What I wasn’t prepared for was to be as invigorated by a young team as I have been in a long time. But Borussia Dortmund’s performance in the 1-1 draw was outstanding.



The tenacity and aggression they showed as a group of young players made a very good Manchester City side look a bit pedestrian.



Exciting times: Marco Reus skips past Gael Clichy





It wasn’t a performance without mistakes, as City had some good chances. But it did have real quality and spirit.



In my time in football, I don’t think anything has ever matched watching the Barcelona team of 2008-09 as an example of a hungry, young team on a mission to show how good they are.



But Borussia Dortmund have some of that sheer exuberance and energy. They were a joy to watch.

Striking the right note

Last summer we watched Spain — one of the greatest international teams of all time — win Euro 2012 playing for long periods without any recognised striker. And almost every team at the top level now start with just one centre-forward.

But at Newcastle we could see Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney combining for Manchester United and Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse up front for the home side.

