Rooney is set to return to Manchester United for the first time since leaving for former club Everton tomorrow (4pm).
The former England international heads back to Old Trafford as the club’s all-time leading scorer, having struck 253 goals during a 13-year stint.
Moyes gave the 31-year-old his debut while at Everton, and also took charge of Rooney again when he succeeded Ferguson at Manchester United four years ago.
And the Scot has revealed he was left shocked by the maturity the striker had developed while playing under the iron fist regime of Ferguson.
“When he started out with us at Everton, he just wasn’t good at that [communicating],” Moyes told the Daily Mail.
“But when I arrived at Manchester United, I saw how that had changed. He went out of his way to prove to the outside world how much he had developed in that respect.”
Moyes also thought Rooney was able to digest orders far quicker than his first stint at Goodison Park.
“You told him something and he got it,” added.
“I’ve always very much wanted to be involved in coaching but what distinguished him was self-development.
“He’d seen so many situations that he knew how to adapt and improvise.”
Rooney has scored twice since returning to Everton – in games against Swansea and Manchester City.
But he will be aiming to break a United defence that have conceded just two goals from their first five games this season.
