Thaindian News

London, Feb 21 (ANI): Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and the rest of his coaching staff is happy that ace striker Wayne Rooney is setting a good example for United’s youngsters on and off the pitch.

Cristiano Ronaldo was famous for hogging the Carrington training pitch after hours but, in his absence, Rooney has been working overtime.

He stays late after most training sessions to put in additional work on every aspect of his game from general fitness to relentless shooting drills, News of the World reports.

The star striker is in the form of his life but many in the United camp attribute that to the fact that he has never worked harder at his game.

First team coach Rene Meulensteen singled him out for special praise to Sir Alex when he begged the Dutchman to help him practice painstaking volley exercises with both feet.

The session went on long after Rooney’s other team-mates had departed just a day after United played an exhausting Premier League clash against Aston Villa, the paper reports.

Rooney has become a bigger presence in the dressing room and now staff put him in the same bracket as Ryan Giggs when they highlight training attitudes their fledglings should emulate.

A club source said: “Since Sir Alex set him the task of stepping out of Ronaldo’s shadow, he hasn’t looked back. I’m not surprised he took those two headers against Milan so well. He does extra training drills involving headers from lobbed balls at all angles.” (ANI)