Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes admits he's pleased with his form going into today's clash with Liverpool.

Just as fellow old stager Ryan Giggs was flavour of the month at this time last year, so Scholes is attracting plenty of positive headlines for his performances even though he will celebrate his 36th birthday in November.

Typically, Scholes has no revelation to make about why he should be able to reach such a high standard so consistently.

However, it seems Fabio Capello's failure to lure the midfielder out of international retirement to play for England at the World Cup this summer may indirectly have something to do with it.

"I couldn't say for certain whether I have hit the ground running because I have had some time off," he said.

"But obviously it was nice to have a break. It meant I felt fresh when I came back.

"I also managed to stay fit throughout pre-season, which helps, because having a run of games is a major factor."