VAN NISTELROOY VOTED PREMIERSHIP'S FINEST

CRUCIATE knee ligament damage almost ended his career in the game, but Ruud van Nistelrooy has bounced back in emphatic style and was last night awarded the PFA Player of the Year award. Opta took an in-depth look at his inaugural season on English soil.

Accepting the prize at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Sunday night, the Dutchman enthused: "This is the proudest moment so far in my career. Playing for Manchester United is a fantastic feeling but then again so is just playing because when I was injured there were doubts I would play again."

Sir Alex Ferguson finally shelled out £19 million for the prolific striker after he made a successful comeback with PSV Eindhoven in March 2001. With the Red Devils faltering at the quarter-final stages of the Champions League last season, the United boss was aware that his side needed strengthening if they were to conquer Europe this time around. Van Nistelrooy has certainly repaid Fergie's patience and faith.

The 25-year-old hitman has helped fire United into the final four of Europe's premier club contest this season by netting nine times - the entire haul clinically unleashed from inside the penalty area. He is currently the leading scorer in the competition, one strike ahead of Juventus' David Trezeguet and two in advance of Arsenal's Thierry Henry and team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Indeed, a quarter of his efforts have beaten the goalkeeper and his 58% shooting accuracy is 15 percentage points better than the tournament average.

This really represents an extension of van Nistelrooy's form on the domestic front. Since bagging a brace on his Premiership debut against Fulham back in August he has gone on to score 21 times for the champions, including a hat-trick in the 6-1 thrashing of Southampton at Old Trafford. Between 12th December and 19th January the Dutch ace scored in eight consecutive league matches, creating a new top-flight record, keeping him in the hunt for the Golden Boot.

So far this term the multi-million pound man has not gone more than four games without a goal and it is largely attributable to this consistency that he has received the recognition from his fellow professionals.

Feared by opposition shot-stoppers, van Nistelrooy has landed more than half of his efforts on target and has netted with a deadly 26% of balls that have left his venomous boots. A collective tally of half-a-dozen assists in Europe and the Premiership prove that he is every bit a team player, but it's primarily his predatory instincts that United paid for and as others have duly noted, this is proving to be a shrewd investment.