Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson feels his old players are getting back to their best.

Ferguson lauded Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and David de Gea ahead of Manchester United's Boxing Day clash against Newcastle.

He told BT Sport: "I the World Cup maybe taken a little bit out of Van Persie but you watch him in the second half (of the season), he'll be fine.

"Rooney is back flying again and Rooney will always get you a goal and that's always an advantage for a team that's got a goalscorer in the team.

"And the one that is most pleasing for me of the present lot is David de Gea. When we brought him as a kid, yeah he was frail, skinny, but he had ability.

"He has special talents and he is showing that now and I'm really pleased for that kid, I really am. But once they get their players back they will fine, make no mistake about it."