Bacelona vs Manchester United preview - Rooney ready to shine on big stage

Posted Saturday, May 28, 2011 by PA

Twelve months after his World Cup flop, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is ready to "stand up and be counted".

This time last year, Rooney was being compared to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, whom he will face in the Champions League final at Wembley when United take on the Catalan giants.

Instead of confirming his status as one of the best players on the planet at the World Cup, the man who scored 34 goals for United had a nightmare, failing to score a goal, and his most notable moment in South Africa was to castigate the England fans for booing their team off in Cape Town.

A prolonged period in the doldrums followed, from which Rooney has not long emerged.

But when he finally made his way off a pitch he knows so well and made a point of shaking hands with Joel, Avram and Bryan Glazer, he did so as a man at the very top of his game.

"When we have needed Wayne to stand up and be counted he has always been there on most occasions," said Rio Ferdinand.

"People talk about big occasions. I think of the (Manchester) City game when he scored one of the best goals you will see at Old Trafford.

"I don't need to go through the times and occasions he has done that."

Rooney has benefited most from the emergence of Javier Hernandez, who has scored 20 goals in his debut season so far and is ahead of joint Golden Boot winner Dimitar Berbatov in the queue for a starting place.

Either as a main striker, out wide or dropping deeper, as he has done most recently, Rooney has produced moments of genius. Faced with a Barcelona side containing Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, United need someone to produce a dazzling performance.

Rooney has the capability. Not that Ferdinand feels he has anything to prove.

"Wayne can show his worth anyway regardless of what happened last summer at the World Cup or what happens at Wembley," said the former England skipper.

"We have 100% trust in all our players."

Sir Alex Ferguson has noted increased maturity in the 25-year-old's performances.

A willingness has always been there. Two years ago in Rome, Rooney operated wide on the left because Cristiano Ronaldo could not be trusted to track back. He performed the task without complaint.

Indeed, his only outward sign of irritation came in October when he handed in a transfer request, mainly due to the lack of assurances he received about future signings and fears about the future.

At the time, his words seemed plausible. Now, with United crowned Premier League champions for the fourth time in five seasons, and in their third Champions League final in four, they look silly.

"We have players who will like this stage," said Ferguson.

"Wayne Rooney is more mature now than he was in 2009."

Ferguson will be choosing from a full squad when he selects his side for the final.

Apart from long-term injury victim Owen Hargreaves, who has been told he has no future at Old Trafford, all Ferguson's first-team squad men were put through their paces in a final, public, training session.

Darren Fletcher does appear doomed to miss a second consecutive final encounter with the Catalans though as he did not feature at the start of an 11-a-side practice match, instead providing shooting practice for Anders Lindegaard, along with Bebe, Gabriel Obertan and Darron Gibson, who are also expected to miss out.

Pep Guardiola has urged his Barcelona side to complete a Champions League final victory that would never be forgotten.

Speaking for the last time before what many believe could be a Wembley classic, Guardiola once again rubbished suggestions Barca were already the greatest club side of all time.

But he admitted lifting a third European Cup in six years playing the way they can could lead to his team being looked back upon in the same way as the great Real Madrid side of the 1950s and 60s, the Ajax team of the 70s and the AC Milan side of the 80s.

"If some guys remember this team, the people who are playing right now, for us that will be a huge success," he said.

"If they talk in good terms, saying, 'One time, I saw this team and this team played good', we are glad.

"To think we're the best team ever, it's impossible, it's not true."

Defenders Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal have both been passed fit.

Captain Puyol has been plagued by knee and hamstring problems in 2011, while Abidal only recently returned following a cancer scare.

Gabriel Milito (thigh) may not be risked at Wembley, while reserve goalkeeper Jose Pinto is suspended.