Rio backs Rooney to fire

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has backed Wayne Rooney to deliver in the Champions League final against Barcelona on Saturday.

Rooney endured a disappointing World Cup with England last year, failing to find the net in South Africa.

His struggle for form continued into the following season – the 25-year-old netted just 15 goals in all competitions and only threatened to produce his best late in the campaign.

Nevertheless, Ferdinand is confident his teammate remains equipped to threaten the Spanish champions at Wembley on Saturday.

“Regardless of what happened last summer and regardless of what happens tomorrow night – whenever we’ve needed Wayne to stand up and be counted he’s always been there for us,” Ferdinand said.

“If you talk about big occasions, you can look at the Manchester City game this season. He scored one of the best goals you’ll probably see at Old Trafford,” Ferdinand added, referring to an acrobatic, overhead winner.

“I don’t need to go through the different times and occasions when he’s done that for us.”

“We’ve got 100 percent belief in all of our players, not just Wayne.”

“But it’s not going to be one player to make sure we get over the line. It’s going to need all of us to focus and concentrate and make sure we do what the management want us to do.”

One of the men charged with stopping Rooney is Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, bidding to lift the Champions League trophy for a third time.

Together with club captain Carlos Puyol, Valdes is one of only two remaining players to have started both of Barcelona’s most recent Champions League final victories, against Arsenal in Paris back in 2006 and two years ago against United in Rome.

“We’re going to try to enjoy ourselves and to win,” Valdes said.

“If possible, we will do it in the style our supporters like but you have to win these matches in whichever way you can. The important thing is to lift the trophy.”

“Paris was different; it was new for many of us. It was different in Rome because then we had had the experience of Paris. We are here to live every second to the full and try to win it of course.”