Robbie Savage: Why Louis van Gaal owes this Man United player

Robbie Savage believes Wayne Rooney is keeping Louis van Gaal in his Manchester United job.

The England skipper scored either side of half-time in the Red Devils’s 3-3 draw with Newcastle United at St James’s Park on Tuesday night.

Rooney may be past his best, but the captain is still carrying the fight to keep Van Gaal in his job

Robbie Savage

Rooney has started to find goal-scoring form in recent weeks and the United captain scored a vital winner in their 1-0 victory over Sheffield United in the FA Cup third round at Old Trafford earlier this month.

Savage, who started his United career at the 20-time English champions, says Van Gaal owes Rooney a lot.

“If Van Gaal is honest with himself, he would concede that he owes Wayne Rooney,” Savage told Daily Mirror.

“Whose brilliant back-heeled winner against Swansea dug out a result when LVG desperately needed it a fortnight ago?

“Who put away that stoppage time penalty against Sheffield United in the FA Cup when a 0-0 draw would have been totally unacceptable?

“And who was United’s best player in the 3-3 draw at Newcastle?

“Rooney may be past his best, but the captain is still carrying the fight to keep Van Gaal in his job.”

The Red Devils are in sixth place in the Premier League table and nine points behind leaders Arsenal.

United face bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

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The Red Devils have won their last four games against the Merseyside outfit since Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Old Trafford in 2014.