Manchester United legend Denis Irwin believes Wayne Rooney has led the Red Devils with distinction this season and feels that he deserves praise for his performance as club captain.

Louis van Gaal handpicked Rooney to pick up the mantle of the captaincy from Nemanja Vidic, who joined Inter Milan last summer.




The forward has played a key role in helping Manchester United to find their footing again in the Premier League this season and while a recent slump in form has still not allowed them to sew up their spot in the top four, Van Gaal’s men are on course to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

A natural goalscorer by trade, the Manchester United captain has spent a chunk of the season in midfield, which has affected his numbers, but he was key in navigating the team through an injury crisis earlier in the campaign.
 


Irwin is pleased with the way Rooney has led the Manchester United side this season and believes that he has made a real impact on the players with his leadership qualities.

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“Wayne has done very well this season”, Irwin told the club’s official website.

“He’s had to play in different positions for the good of the team and he’s done it, no questions asked. He’s scored a lot of vital goals for us and has been a great leader as our captain as well.

“We’ve heard about the little speeches he’s made before some games and they’ve obviously had an impact on the other players which is great to see.”

Van Gaal would like to see Rooney back to goalscoring form as Manchester United will be looking to arrest their slide with a win over Crystal Palace this Saturday.

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