Van Nistelrooy Set for a 'New Start'

By David Hobbs
July 16 2005

Ruud van Nistelrooy has admitted he cannot wait for the big kick-off following an injury plagued campaign last season at Old Trafford.

Hernia, ankle, calf and Achilles problems denied the Dutchman from making his season a prolific one and deems the forthcoming term like a 'new start'.

"It is a new season and it feels like a new start," he said. "You can't have a good campaign if you are not fit, so the most important thing for me now is to get into a rhythm by playing lots of games."

Fans even turned on van Nistelrooy for a short time following a dry run of form and was heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona as a consequence.

However, the powerhouse striker ignored all rumours and bagged 16 goals in 27 appearances. He added: "There is no doubt last year was the most frustrating of my time at United, you only have to look back at my previous three seasons to see how easy that is to say.

"It was hard but now I want to take the opportunity to do well again. There is no doubt last season was disappointing. It is something we do not want to forget because we can use it as a motivation for this season.

"Inside every player is the desire to prove to others we are still amongst the best."

David Hobbs - Webmaster
[david@manutdweb.com]