Manchester United captain Roy Keane insists he still has plenty of improvement to make even though he was far too good for Birmingham at Old Trafford yesterday.
Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he had taken a gamble in plunging his midfield inspiration into his third appearance in an energy-sapping seven days after hip surgery ruled had ruled the 31-year-old out of action for the previous four months.
Yet Keane delivered his usual determined display, driving his team forward with a mixture of his own endeavours and a few choice words, ensuring United got their title chase back on track after successive league losses either side of the Christmas Day festivities.
And while the Irishman took a back seat behind David Beckham and Fabien Barthez in the headline-grabbing stakes, he did enough to worry the Premiership midfielders he is set to face in the coming months, even if he admitted there is plenty more to come.
"It is hard for any player coming back after so long out of the team," he said.
"I need matches to get the sharpness back. When I came on against Blackburn I was probably their best player but I didn't do too badly yesterday.
"Physically and mentally I feel fresh and while I need to be patient, the more matches I play, the better I will get."
For the first time since August, Keane found himself lining up alongside Rio Ferdinand and Beckham as Ferguson freshened up his side after the disappointing Boxing Day defeat at Middlesbrough.