Wayne Rooney and Memphis Depay at opposite ends of Manchester United careers - but on same wavelength against Club Brugge

ANALYSIS: Positive signs as United captain ends goal drought

Wayne Rooney celebrates his goal against Club Brugge (GETTY IMAGES)

For Wayne Rooney this was a night of some personal redemption, his first goals for five months, his first hat-trick for four years. After a spell of form so bad that it prompted questions about his longevity and even about his future, it must have meant a lot.

The surest guarantee of good form in front of goal is good form in front of goal and if Rooney has now rediscovered that then that rather changes the prospects of United's immediate future. Javier Hernandez looked out of touch and Marouane Fellaini is seemingly next in line, but if Rooney is back - even though he insisted post-match he never lost belief - then that is important.

And yet, as well as Rooney took his three chances - he could even have had a fourth - there was something else about his display that may point to an upturn of form for United, even against opposition as limited as Club Brugge.

There was something sharper about Rooney's touch - dulled of late - and his combination play in this performance, which can only be auspicious for player and club. If at times recently Rooney has lost rather lost, on a different wavelength from his new generation of team-mates, here he seemed perfectly in sync with those around him, especially Memphis Depay.

Rooney and Depay are players at opposite ends of their Manchester United careers but their combination for the first goal looked almost instinctive, Rooney darting away as Memphis dummied a shot before sliding him through. Memphis started the move from which Rooney scored his second before they almost combined for a wonderful third.

Charging in from the right, Memphis and Rooney sliced through Brugge with a one-two which does not happen by accident, but rather by two forwards having a natural understanding of each other’s games. It did not quite come off, but United battered Brugge anyway. The implications, though, not just for Rooney’s goalscoring but for his all round game, could yet be even more important than that.