Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has hailed the leadership qualities of Wayne Rooney.

One of the first major decisions that van Gaal took upon his appointment as manager of United was to hand the club captaincy to Rooney.

And it has to be said that the move has paid dividends as the striker played an inspirational role in leading the Red Devils to a commendable fourth-place finish in the Premier League this season after a shaky start under the Dutchman.

"He is a democratic leader, he is not a dictator," the 63-year old said.

"I like democratic leadership. He is always setting an example for the other players and maybe Wayne is the example for the team's fighting spirit."