Wayne Rooney: Angel Di Maria will come good at Man United

Angel Di Maria (left) joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in August 2014

Manchester United forward Angel Di Maria will come good for the club despite his recent struggles on the pitch, captain Wayne Rooney says.

After a bright start at Old Trafford, the £59.7m signing from Real Madrid has found it difficult to make an impact.

Argentina's Di Maria, 27, was subdued in Saturday's 2-0 win over Sunderland and was withdrawn at half-time.

"He's a great player. You don't lose your talent overnight. I think he will figure it out," Rooney, 29, said.

"Hopefully he'll get back to his best and start giving some great performances.

"You have to come to it in your own way and I am sure he will be a big player for us between now and the end of the season."

Di Maria, who has scored three goals in 19 Premier League games for the Red Devils this season, has also endured a difficult time off the pitch.

The player and his family were the victims of an attempted burglary while at their home in Cheshire at the end of January.

United manager Louis van Gaal said early last month he had concerns about the player's frame of mind after the incident.

Former Liverpool and Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy believes Di Maria's performances have not been helped by Van Gaal's tinkering with his position.

"At the beginning of the season he had a little spell where he played central in a three," Murphy told BBC Sport.

"He looked a world beater for a month and he was everywhere. So it's not like he hasn't clicked at all.

"But United's system has changed a lot. Di Maria went from playing centrally to out wide. He's played on the right, he's even played as a number 10. Being dotted about all over the pitch, it's difficult for player."