Van Persie joined from Arsenal in the summer and instantly settled in, becoming the team's leading scorer.

"He's mature, he's experienced," Ferguson said. "I don't think you need a lot of time [to settle in]. The only thing that was short was match-fitness because he hadn't played.

"He'd only played for half an hour in Hamburg for Arsenal [in pre-season]. He came to us and although he'd done all his training, he hadn't played. So he was playing catch‑up. But he did extra work here and his fitness is terrific and that experience he brings to the team has been brilliant."