Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has once again compared Robin van Persie to club legend Eric Cantona.

Dutch international Van Persie, who signed in the summer from Premier League rivals Arsenal, has scored 15 goals in all competitions so far this season.

Reflecting on his summer signing's impact, Ferguson has reiterated his stance that the 29-year-old has reminded him of the effect that Cantona had on his team when he signed from Leeds United in December 1992.

"I reckon here at Manchester United we got our Christmas present early - right at the start of the season in fact, when Robin van Persie arrived at Old Trafford," Ferguson wrote in his column for United Review.

"I am reluctant to subscribe to the cult of an individual because I firmly believe that the essence of a successful football team depends on team-work, and neither are we a one-man team, but sometimes there really is a situation where you are lucky enough to find the last piece of the jigsaw.

"We did it when we brought Eric Cantona to Old Trafford where he proved to be the right player at the right club at the right time.

"He became the catalyst and springboard for our surge to success. It doesn't have to be signing someone for a record fee. Eric was in fact a snip at a million."

Cantona won four Premier League titles and two FA Cups with United before announcing his retirement in 1997.