Rejuvenated Saha keen to repay United investment

Louis Saha "feels like a little kid" after regaining his scoring touch following a long battle with injury.

The French striker has endured a difficult time with injuries virtually since the day he arrived at Manchester United from Fulham.

Saha's Old Trafford honeymoon period lasted precisely eight games, during which time the £12.8-million forward netted six times and looked set to become the perfect foil for Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Those hopes disintegrated amid a string of injuries which at various times affected an achilles tendon, a hamstring and a knee.

The injuries have come at a huge personal cost to Saha (27), who was cup-tied for United's FA Cup final win over Millwall in 2004 and missed the penalty shoot-out defeat to Arsenal 12 months later because of his frequent absences. Overall last term, he started only 11 times in all competitions and contributed just two goals to the cause.

Already this term he has three, all in the League Cup, including the double that dumped Birmingham out of the competition at St Andrew's on Tuesday night.

It was the first time Saha had scored two in a game for United since a 4-3 win at Everton in February 2004.

And now the former Fulham forward is eager to make up for lost time - and partially erase the memory of this season's Champions League debacle - by firing United to League Cup glory in the new year.

"I feel like a little kid again," he said.

"I have been dreaming of playing and scoring for so long, every time I see a ball I just want to run after it.

"The club have looked after me so well over the last few months, now it is time for me to give something back.

"Everyone knows losing so early in the Champions League was a major blow for the club, so now we have to try and win everything else. Whoever we get in the semi-final will be tough but we have every reason to be confident of winning it."

Alex Ferguson believes Saha will gain massive confidence from his two-goal blast.

"Scoring those two goals is bound to help Louis," said the Scot. "He should have scored with a header in the first half and you would expect him to at least hit the target.

"But every striker down the years has lived on confidence and those two goals will certainly benefit Louis."

With a packed festive programme looming, closely followed by a January schedule that includes Premiership meetings with Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, an FA Cup trip to non-league Burton and both legs of the League Cup semi-final, Saha's return to fitness could not have come at a better time for Ferguson, who has never lost faith in the player.

For his part, Saha knows he still has plenty of work to do if he is to establish himself in a forward line containing Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney. But his speed, strength and aerial power offer Ferguson a useful alternative to his two big-name strikers.

"I am just trying to do my best because I recognise it is one thing wanting to do well, it is another actually doing it," he said. "The reason I am working so hard in training is to make sure I can do it on the pitch."

After battling back from so many injuries, it is little wonder Saha is optimistic.

So, while most pundits believe Chelsea's win at Arsenal last weekend effectively wrapped up the title, Saha is not ready to give up the fight just yet.

"We can all see how strong and dominant Chelsea are at the moment," he said.

"But it is a long season and if we can keep on their tail, things might still go our way."

Ferguson was also pleased to see Park Ji-Sung grab his first goal for United, who stepped up a gear after a goalless opening 45 minutes.

He said: "We are all delighted for Ji-Sung because the goal has been coming.

"He has been working ever so hard for us and deserves his goal. He has been so close to scoring in so many matches this season."