Wayne Rooney's presence is enough to give Manchester United a lift such is the aura that has been built up around the England striker, according to club and international team-mate Wes Brown.

GettyImagesWes Brown and Wayne Rooney : Manchester United team-mates since 2004.

Rooney took his goal tally for the season to 23 in the 5-1 win against Portsmouth on Saturday, equalling his personal best with three months of the campaign still remaining.

And the England striker will be attempting to break new ground at Aston Villa on Wednesday night, to pile more pressure on Premier League title rivals Chelsea.

Former England skipper Alan Shearer recently claimed that United have been completely reliant on Rooney to carry their title charge but while Brown does not agree with that assessment, he does acknowledge having Rooney in the team brings an extra air of confidence.

"It gives you so much of a boost knowing he can always make something happen,'' Brown said. "It definitely helps when you are playing in a game. Wayne is playing fantastically well at the moment.

"He is a pleasure to watch, not just for the fans but for the other players around him. We don't rely on him but he is a big influence for us. He is expected to do a lot and what he does has been magnificent.''

A run of nine successive United away wins over Villa only ended with a goalless draw last season, but Villa's last home victory over Sir Alex Ferguson's side came in 1995, when "Fergie's fledglings" were put to the sword in a 3-1 win.

United lost to Villa in the reverse fixture earlier this season, with Gabi Agbonlahor scoring the winner at Old Trafford, but Brown feels United have gained momentum since then.

"It is going to be a different Manchester United from now on,'' Brown said. "For us now it is a question of being focused all the way.

"We have been down this path so many times before. If we keep our focus and our form remains good, we have a decent chance.''