Is Wayne Rooney finally back to his best?

Wayne Rooney was in fine form against Bayer Leverkusen last night

It wasn’t too long ago, when it looked like Wayne Rooney looked destined to join Chelsea and become the defining signing of Jose Mourinho’s second coming. But, after a whole lot of convincing from Moyes and the Manchester United camp, looks like he might well stay on, well after his current contract expires.

The transformation has been evident in his last two games, as he looks leaner, meaner and definitely fitter than he has ever been before. At the peak of his powers, he is one of the finest attackers in the game right now it is easy to see why Moyes fought tooth and nail to keep his star striker at the club.

Against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Wayne Rooney showed just why there aren’t many like him, in the modern game. Although he scored with a sublime free kick, there was more to his contribution to the game, than just the goal. His energy meant that he drove the side forward, whether it was pinging long cross field balls to Valencia a la Scholes or winning the ball back deep in his own half and starting lightening quick counter attacks, Rooney did it all.

On Tuesday night against Bayer Leverkusen, he merely continued his purple patch and could do no wrong throughout the game. He scored a brace, in the process of which, Leverkusen became the 49^th different club he had scored against in an United jersey, after netting his first against Fenerbahce. His first goal last night, which was a simple finish from six yards, made him United’s highest scoring British player in Europe. And he was gifted his second and his 200^th for the club, by the Leverkusen defence, when a long ball from De Gea wasn’t properly cleared. That goal, made him only the fourth player after Law, Rowley and Charlton to cross the 200 mark for United and achieved that feat in just 406 games, at a strike rate of just under one goal every two games.

This game, though, was not all about his goals, rather, was about his commitment to the cause and his camaraderie with his striking partner. Robin Van Persie was full of praise for his strike partner after the game, as he confessed, “I love to play alongside Wayne.”

Rooney’s versatility in attack, didn’t go unnoticed as the Dutchman added: “He has a bit of everything. He can go up front, he can play in behind. He can play the short game and the longer game.”

After the game, Moyes, was full of praise for his star striker. He said, “I thought he played really well. I remember saying he had a real chance to be one of the all-time leading goal scorers at this club and if he keeps playing like he did tonight, he’ll get there.”

After all, there aren’t many players out there, who can go from being an out and out striker to a play maker at the flip of a coin. The ease with which Rooney has consistently managed to do both, is certainly something that distinguishes him from other top attackers in the world. After the game, Rooney declined to say to whether he is now happy at United and only said: “I’m concentrating on my football as I have done all summer,” and that he was “pleased with the way I have come back and delighted that I am scoring goals.”

Whether Rooney is happy or not, Moyes certainly needs him to maintain his purple patch and keep pulling the strings from behind, if he is to claim another trophy in his first year at United. And if Rooney keeps up his early season form, the decision to keep him at United, might well turn out to be the best decision Moyes ever made.