Wayne Rooney says history should give Manchester United belief that they can be Premier League kings again.
The captain was on target as his third-placed side thumped Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday to record a sixth successive win and move eight points behind leaders Chelsea.
And while there were fears that United, under new boss Louis van Gaal and with several new signings, might struggle to finish in the top four, their recent run – and without even playing well – has given Rooney hope of a title tilt like in 2013.
“I think we have to believe we can win the title,” he said. “We are eight points behind and coming into a busy period. If we can win our games and the others have one bad result then there is nothing there.
“We have shown a great resilience. Some of the games haven’t gone the way we would like, but we are winning them and that is a great quality to have.
“We won the league two years ago and we weren’t great in a lot of those games, but we got the results.”
United’s lofty status also vindicates the confidence van Gaal had in his players, and his philosophy, after a difficult start.
Rooney added: “Everyone can see he has an aura about him. When things weren’t going great for us earlier on in the season, he knew what he was doing, he knew the form would come back and that we would win games.
“There was no panic, he stayed calm because he has been through it all before. Thankfully the lads have believed in him and what he has said, it’s happened.”
No one has helped United’s cause more than keeper David De Gea. He was outstanding against Liverpool and showed why the club are desperate to extend his contract that runs out in 2016.
“In my eyes he is the best keeper in the world,” said Rooney. “He came through a tough patch early on in his career here and he is starting to prove what a top keeper he is.
“To play in goal at Manchester United at 20 is difficult especially trying to replace Edwin van der Sar who was a fantastic keeper. We knew it might take time with David and it did.”
Rooney, 29, is also enjoying the fresh approach of the Dutch boss and was moved back into midfield against Liverpool to great effect.
He added: “I think it can help me in years to come. You see top players retire like Michael Owen for instance. He was one of the world’s best players, but I don’t think he could drop back into midfield.
“Once his pace had gone through injuries, that was kind of the end. But I feel I can drop back and I am sure it will give me an extra few years at the end of my career.”
