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If Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2013 attacking Fab Four is a replica of his 1999 version, then Dwight Yorke says he’s Robin van Persie!

And the Reds Treble-winning striker is challenging the Dutchman to beat his 29-goal haul that was the platform for United sweeping the board 14 years ago.

Fergie pioneered the four-strong senior strike force when he signed Yorke for £12.5m in the summer of 1998 to supplement Andrew Cole, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham who were already at the club.

It was a luxury selection that many of the big clubs have since tried to copy.

The Reds boss too has strived ever since to acquire a similar quartet of quality.

Adding RVP for £24m last summer to Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck has paid dividends.

The goal-laden Reds are riding high on the back of 21 goals from the 29-year-old former Arsenal hitman.

The 2012 Golden Boot winner is ahead of Yorke’s 98-99 tally at this stage of the season.

Yorkie ended up as joint Premier League Golden Boot winner with Michael Owen (Liverpool) and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea) but he didn’t hit the 21 league goal milestone until United’s 8-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in early February.

Just as Yorke's arrival lifted the Reds, so Van Persie’s impact has transformed United and the Dutch ace returns to North London tomorrow for the Reds' tricky match against his former rivals and neighbours Spurs at White Hart Lane.

“The RVP of our era has to be me surely?” Yorke said. “I don’t think Coley will be too disappointed that I suggest I was the Van Persie of our day.

“He’s got to get to 29 goals now though. I hope he does and I think he will. If he beats me then you have to be certain that United will be picking up silverware.

“The comparisons are obvious because, like Robin at the start of this season, I was the new guy back then.

“I hit the ground running scoring twice in my second match and the goals largely kept coming.

“RVP scored in his first start and that is so important. To get on the front foot straight away removes a lot of the pressure because when a new striker joins United the expectations are so high.

“If you go about 10 games or so and you haven’t scored it becomes a big story and the pressure builds. That is very tough. Look at Fernando Torres at Chelsea. That is a prime example.

“There were very high expectations when he moved to Stamford Bridge and the fact he struggled to score the whole thing escalated. If you don’t hit the ground running that it becomes very, very hard.

“I’ve heard people talk about how Old Trafford could be a striker’s graveyard. There have been goalscorers who arrived but fell by the wayside because they didn’t get off to a great start and it all became too much.

“Fortunately, at the time I didn’t know too much about that. I didn’t think about previous failures and I think that was a help.

“It was a good thing I didn’t know about that kind of history.

“I don’t know what Robin knows about United’s past but I guess if you asked him say about Garry Birtles he might not know the name.

“I think the less you know the better sometimes. It was a plus for me.

“Robin looks like a player who’s not burdened by the past. He is playing out of his skin and really is United’s talisman now.”

The Dutchman has taken that mantle from Wayne Rooney who was United’s top scorer last term with 34 goals.

Rooney’s FA Cup replay winner against West Ham last Wednesday was only his ninth of an injury fragmented campaign.

The RVP-Rooney strike ticket is likely to start at Tottenham tomorrow and Yorke believes the England hitman’s impact is set to rocket.

“Wayne hasn’t lived up to his high expectations for one reason or another this season,” added Yorke. “United need him to come back to scoring regularly to back up RVP and Chicharito.

“I think he is going to be a force to be reckoned with in these final few months of the season.”