Red hot Rooney: Manchester United's Wayne is on top form when he is fired up says Moyes

DAVID MOYES insists Wayne Rooney is a better player when he’s fired up.

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SCORCHING HOT: Moyes loves when Wayne has 'fire in his belly' [GETTY]

The Manchester United boss ­admits Rooney, 28, was lucky not to get a red card for kicking out at ­Cardiff’s Jordon Mutch on Sunday – but will not attempt to change him.

The England striker will shoulder a huge burden of responsibility in United’s vital Champions League game against in-form Bayer Leverkusen tonight, with senior stars Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic and Michael Carrick all ­injured and Marouane Fellaini ­suspended.

A win will ensure United qualify with a game to spare but defeat could leave them facing a last-game shoot-out with Shakhtar Donetsk for second place if the Ukraine club beat Real Sociedad.

But Moyes believes Rooney’s ­temperament will not be an issue – the ­striker has not been sent off for United since March 2009 – and wants him playing on the edge, even if it means the occasional eruption.

The United manager said: “I think Wayne’s form, attitude and ­temperament have been first class. I couldn’t fault any of them. There will always be times when things don’t always quite go for him but on that occasion Wayne was ­probably a little bit fortunate, ­although I still think the referee made the right ­decision in his call.

“But I don’t want to change him. I want Wayne to have fire in his belly.

DESIRE: Rooney's got the hunger back says Moyes [GETTY]

“I think he plays better when he’s tough and aggressive”

David Moyes

“I think he plays better when he’s tough and aggressive.
“I don’t want him to be kicking at anybody, I want him aggressive, challenging and full of running.
“And I think at the moment we’re seeing a really good Wayne Rooney who’s in top form and scoring goals.

“It’s a big part of his game. He’s an aggressive player, he plays with his heart as well as the skills he’s got in abundance.

“That’s the way he was when he was a boy at Everton. And actually a lot of people said that might have been missing from his game last season – well, it’s certainly not ­missing now.
“He’s got the hunger back and the desire back and he’s committed for everything. I’d rather have a Wayne Rooney that way than any other way.”

Moyes believes because ­Rooney is England’s No.1 player there will ­always be more focus on his ­misdemeanours.

He added: “At times he will get picked out but I also think that ­everybody is recognising the form he’s in.
“It was mentioned that he scored a goal and made another one against Cardiff but maybe more attention has been drawn to something else rather than his goal or making one.
“That is what happens with Wayne – but the attention for most of this season has been on his good form.”

Striker Stefan Kiessling has ­admitted Leverkusen, who are ­second only to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, showed United too much respect in their 4-2 defeat at Old Trafford in September.
Kiessling, 29, said: “That time, we had too much respect for them and had a bit of fear.
“Since then we have put in several good performances.
“We’re confident. We’re a force at home, but we have to beat these big teams – including Manchester ­United.”