Chelsea hero Ruud Gullit says he's a big fan of Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.

Although Gullit is unsure how much Rooney has left in the tank, he is convinced the striker has adapted his style well enough to cope with the demands of leading England's attack.

He told The Sun: "Rooney does everything well, but you can't run all the time. He did that in the beginning and you can overrun yourself.

"Now he is a lot cleverer with his runs and it's all part of getting more experience."

Rooney's last appearance at the World Cup was ended by a red card as England were dumped out by Portugal in the quarter-finals four years ago.

But Gullit insists the 24-year-old will cope with the close attention he will attract from opposition defenders.

He said: "Rooney he is a clever player. He's very strong, very quick and also very difficult to mark because he's so small. Big defenders do not like playing against him, but he's going to have a harder time when he comes up against smaller, more mobile defenders. Of course you're always concerned about his temper because he wants to win so badly.

"You have to ask what could happen if he's not in the shape he wants to be and gets frustrated about it? That could happen but Capello has changed things, especially the discipline, both on and off the pitch.

"All the players stick with it, so it shows he's doing a good job."