Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson heaped praise on matchwinner Ruud van Nistelrooy after last night's 1-0 victory over West Ham.
The Dutchman ended his five-game exile with a 45th-minute winner.
United boss Fergie said: "Ruud is the best in Europe at that. It's the response we wanted to see. It was Ruud's first game for a few weeks and he needed that.
"He has scored a most important goal for us, a vital goal."
Van Nistelrooy was handed the captain's armband for the night and his goal took him back to the top of the Premiership scoring charts with 20.
Ferguson added: "It's not been easy for Ruud sitting on the bench but I think he understands that Louis Saha had to play in the Carling Cup final.
"And it has been impossible to leave Louis out since then given his tremendous scoring form.
"Some say I should play all three strikers - Ruud, Louis and Wayne Rooney - and that's possible against some formations.
"The thing that's certain is that all three will play their part and help us maintain the momentum that has seen us settle into some good form."
West Ham boss Alan Pardew said: "We can have no complaints about the result. Our defenders did a good job on Van Nistelrooy for the most part but he is a world-class striker.
"Players of that quality are rightly paid huge amounts of money because they take those chances to win games."
The Dutchman ended his five-game exile with a 45th-minute winner.
United boss Fergie said: "Ruud is the best in Europe at that. It's the response we wanted to see. It was Ruud's first game for a few weeks and he needed that.
"He has scored a most important goal for us, a vital goal."
Van Nistelrooy was handed the captain's armband for the night and his goal took him back to the top of the Premiership scoring charts with 20.
Ferguson added: "It's not been easy for Ruud sitting on the bench but I think he understands that Louis Saha had to play in the Carling Cup final.
"And it has been impossible to leave Louis out since then given his tremendous scoring form.
"Some say I should play all three strikers - Ruud, Louis and Wayne Rooney - and that's possible against some formations.
"The thing that's certain is that all three will play their part and help us maintain the momentum that has seen us settle into some good form."
West Ham boss Alan Pardew said: "We can have no complaints about the result. Our defenders did a good job on Van Nistelrooy for the most part but he is a world-class striker.
"Players of that quality are rightly paid huge amounts of money because they take those chances to win games."
