Ferguson tips Rooney for goals record

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes Wayne Rooney can break the club’s all-time goal-scoring record.

The England international, 26, has netted 178 times so far for the Red Devils – one goal behind Old Trafford legends George Best and Dennis Viollet, who are joint-fourth on the all-time list.

World Cup-winning midfielder Sir Bobby Charlton tops the list on 249 and Ferguson thinks Rooney can usurp him and claim numerous other United records in the process.

The Scot told reporters on Friday: “He has time on his side to beat all types of records.

“There is every chance of beating Bobby’s record. He is on track to beat it and I am sure he will do it.

Rooney has scored on 31 occasions so far in this campaign and is only three goals shy of the 27 which Arsenal’s Robin van Persie has bagged in the Premier League alone.

“We have had a clutch of players who scored an incredible amount of goals,” Ferguson said.

“I always thought of Wayne as a player who scored goals in clutches. Now they are evening themselves out and his scoring record is terrific.

“What I have always said about him is that he plays on the edge. He likes the edge to a big game and he has a big game on Sunday.”

Another United striker, Michael Owen, has not played since November, but, with the former Liverpool man having recovered his fitness, Ferguson is hoping he will play a part in the final four games.

“We want to try and get Michael back,” he said.

“If he continues his training for the next week he would certainly be under consideration for the important games coming up because he can score important goals at any stage of a match.

“He has been very unlucky. But for those injuries, who is to say what kind of career he would have had in terms of goals in particular.”

On Sunday, the club host an Everton side that last weekend were beaten in the latter stages of an FA Cup semi-final by Liverpool.

Ferguson praised his managerial counterpart David Moyes for his achievements at Goodison Park, saying: “David has been there 10 years and what he has achieved in that time is phenomenal.

“He has not had the financial resources of other clubs with the same type of history but he has managed to do it time and time again.

“It defies logic with the squad he has had to deal with. He always gets results and keeps his team in the top half of the league. It has been amazing.”