Striker told he can rule the world

Sir Alex Ferguson has told striker Wayne Rooney he can win the 2009 World Footballer of the Year Award after impressing against Celtic.

Rooney's form for club and country has been a revelation over the last month after a slow start to the season and he capped another impressive performance with the final goal in United's emphatic 3-0 victory over Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Rooney's Reds' teammate Ronaldo is the present holder of the Balon D'Or after scoring 42 goals last season but Ferguson believes there is no reason why the England star can't follow the winger into the record books if he keeps up his present strike rate.

"Wayne is capable of getting to that level," said Ferguson.

"Both him and Cristiano were teenagers when they came to us but their progress has been fantastic.

"The only reason we are not talking about Wayne at the same level as Cristiano is the fact one of them scored 42 goals last season. That is why Cristiano should win the Balon D'Or.

"If Wayne can get to that sort of level, he is there."

Ferguson also singled out Rooney's strike partner Dimitar Berbatov for special praise after the Bulgarian took his tally to five goals in his last four games with a double strike against the Scottish champions.

He added: "Dimitar produced some fantastic pieces of football. The players are starting to understand what type of player he is a bit more now.

"I always feel he produces passes that mean something. Three or four of them were absolutely superb and overall he has five goals for us already, so he is making a terrific contribution."