It might seem strange to suggest that Rio Ferdinand has come of age in the past two months when the defender is 27, but that is what has happened. A season that started so miserably all of a sudden looks rosier for Ferdinand, and while his dramatic return to form might not be enough to earn his club the trophy they crave, it is good news for England as they prepare for the World Cup finals in Germany this summer.

Sir Alex Ferguson had hoped privately that Ferdinand’s first goal in 140 appearances for Manchester United against Wigan Athletic last month would signal the end of one of the most turbulent periods in the player’s life, and the manager’s wish seems to have been granted. Ferdinand marshalled the defence superbly against Liverpool, but that alone, it seems, is no longer good enough for him.

He wants to make a greater contribution, and for the third time in nine Barclays Premiership games, he was true to his word, popping up to power home Ryan Giggs’s free kick at the death.

“There is no reason why he can’t offer that (more goals),” Ferguson said. “It gives him the confidence and encouragement to attack the ball as he does. He is 6 feet 4 inches, he has a big enough head and a good spring, so there is no reason why he can’t (score more).”

What Ferguson meant by “big enough head” is unclear, but there was no mistaking the irony of his choice of words. Ferdinand has been too arrogant for too many people’s liking in recent years, but at last he appears to have taken a leaf out of John Terry’s book and decided that it is time to display leadership qualities hitherto conspicuous by their absence.

The lurid headlines that Ferdinand had generated over the past three-and-a-half years must have had the scriptwriters of Footballers’ Wives, the ITV drama, rubbing their hands with glee, but United supporters, not to mention Ferguson, have reason to believe that the soap opera that has been his life has now reached its conclusion.