Fingers have been pointed at Rooney's temperament throughout his career, with both Manchester United and England suffering at times through his failure to keep emotions in check.

However, Ferguson is noticing a change in the 23-year-old, who has enjoyed his most consistent season and would almost certainly have figured in the PFA player of the year reckoning had the votes been cast later in the season.

Rooney is beginning to choose which fights to have, although it seems the winning mentality will never desert him.

"Wayne has showed the improvement you would expect of a young player with talent," said Ferguson.

"He came here from Everton with certain attributes, the most important of which was this fantastic hunger and desire.

"Of course, you have to channel that desire because sometimes it changes the emotion to anger. You hope - and there are good signs of this - that maturity brings along real professionalism that he can combine the combustible nature that he has with the control.

"He is far better at that now. But he is such a winner. The referee gets murdered at every training session. Every tackle he goes into is a cup final for him. It is terrific to see."

Rooney's hunger and appetite for work, much of it unselfish, is one of the reasons Ferguson has used him so much on the left-hand side of the field in the latter stages of the season.

Fabio Capello might have chastised the youngster for not being selfish enough but, as Ferguson has sought to block off a wing that Lionel Messi will be looking to command for Barcelona in Rome next Wednesday night, Rooney has provided the perfect cover for Patrice Evra.

The United manager admits the move costs the player and his team in terms of attacking threat.

Yet such is Rooney's durability and sheer appetite for work that the negative effects are minimised.

"It is a sacrifice when you ask Wayne to do defensive work," said Ferguson.

"You are sacrificing the part of the game that every forward wants to do, which is attack.

"We have some players who would not be able to do what Wayne does.

"But he has the stamina levels and the resilience to keep doing it and still be a threat. He has done fantastic in that position."