Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling has praised his captain Wayne Rooney for the striker's response to being dropped in late December 2015.
After a shameful half-season of performances from Rooney, England's all-time top goalscorer, the 30-year-old was dropped by Louis van Gaal against Stoke City as Man United were beaten 2-1.
Smalling praises Rooney after return to form
Calls for Rooney to be taken out of the starting eleven had come for a while but he has responded superbly, and Smalling has praised that side of United's leader.
Rooney has now scored five goals in his last four games, including the winner against Liverpool at Anfield, his first at the stadium since 2005. Smalling said that "since that game" against Stoke, "he has come back in" and is now showing "he is a top-class performer."
Smalling said he thinks being left out of the team by van Gaal "can refresh you and spur you on a bit more" to prove fans, coaches and pundits "just how good you are."
Smalling believes best strikers, like Rooney, can bounce back
"The best ones [strikers] are those that come back [from poor form] and get on another run," says Smalling, who believe it is common for "strikers to go through periods when they don't score."
Smalling has been United's gem of 2015, having himself responded to criticism and a spell out of the starting line-up well. He is now the first name on the teamsheet alongside David de Gea, missing just 110 minutes of action for the Reds this season, playing for almost 2,900 minutes.
Rooney will look to extend his goalscoring run on Saturday when United face Southampton at Old Trafford in a 15:00 kick-off. He overtook Thierry Henry as the highest goalscorer for a single club in Premier League history with his goal at Anfield last weekend, now with 176 league goals for United.