As United travel to Anfield with the prospect of leading the Premiership by 12 points, Wayne Rooney feels the Reds are reaping the rewards of patience in youth this season.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side have also reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup and hold a first leg advantage going into next week's Champions League second round decider with Lille.

And Rooney feels the Reds' improvement in fortune has simply been a natural progression from the last two years of transition among the squad.

"I don't think there's any secret to it, to be honest," he told Sport magazine. "Last season we finished second and did reasonably well, but this season we've stepped up and played well all the way through so far.

"I think we've brought quite a few young players into the club over the past few seasons - the likes of myself, Cristiano Ronaldo, Darren Fletcher, Kieran Richardson - and it's taken time to get to know the rest of the squad really well and to learn to play together.

"It takes time. It's like when you go away with England and a new player comes in. It takes a while to get to know the way they play, but it comes in time.

"I think that's been the main difference between this season and last. We're playing off each other