Ruud van Nistelrooy is geared up for what could be the three most crucial weeks of his career as Manchester United push for glory.
The Dutch striker remains anxious to win his first honours following his £18.5m move from PSV Eindhoven two years ago.
He says the outcome of the season could be decided in the next 22 days as United play Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal as well as the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, but is ready for the challenge.
Van Nistelrooy is currently in Holland after joining up with his international team-mates ahead of Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifier against the Czech Republic and says: "Coming back from the internationals, we have a hell of a three weeks but those are the best three weeks of the season and everybody is excited.
"We know we have a very difficult programme. We have to go to Newcastle and Arsenal and we have Liverpool at Old Trafford, so we have the toughest programme but I think if we are at the best of our game we can do it."
A hat-trick by Ruud van Nistelrooy - including a spectacular solo effort - put Manchester United on top of the Barclaycard Premiership for the first time this season following their 3-0 win over Fulham at Old Trafford.
The Dutch striker ran from just inside Fulham's half, leaving six players in his wake before steering the ball past goalkeeper Maik Taylor for his - and United's - second.
Van Nistelrooy described the goal on Sky Premiership Plus: 'I got the ball maybe just in their half and turned and dribbled and dribbled on and on. I saw space on the left. The goalkeeper came out, and I put it in.'
Asked if it was his best goal for United, he said: ``I think so - but not the best in my career.'
The striker dismissed claims he might have elbowed Sylvain Legwinski when he started on his run: 'Elbow? I don't know; maybe it happened - but it didn't happen on purpose.
'You can't beat Saturdays like this with the atmosphere, the weather, the pitch. It was tremendous to play, and the result and the goals have made it a hell of a day.'
A Ruud van Nistelrooy hat-trick has fired Manchester United to a 3-0 victory over Fulham and top spot in the premier league for the first time in a year.
The Dutchman converted a penalty just before halftime and added two more in the second half to lift Alex Ferguson's side a point clear of champions Arsenal.
The convincing win at a sunlit Old Trafford gave United 64 points while Arsenal, who play Everton at Highbury on Sunday, have 63 and Newcastle United, who take on Blackburn Rovers, are on 58.
Asked how it felt to be top of the table, Ferguson told Sky Sports: "It's where you want to be and comes at an important part of the season. I hope we can stay there -- I think we've a good chance.
"The players' character is helping and you saw that today. There was good determination and resilience about them.
"The important thing for us is to do our job and I think they're doing that well now... We're certainly not favourites, but we've got a good chance."
Van Nistelrooy converted his spot-kick after Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar Solkjaer had been hauled down by Fulham's French defender Martin Djetou.
The Dutchman sprinted away for his second in the 68th minute, beating three Fulham men before slotting past keeper Maik Taylor, and brought up his hat-trick in the 90th minute with a deflected shot from a pinpoint Ryan Giggs cross.
Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has admitted "the season starts here" for Manchester United.
United are just two points behind Arsenal in the race for the Barclaycard Premiership title and are Britain's sole representatives in the last eight of the Champions League.
And Van Nistelrooy believes what has gone before this season can be forgotten as Sir Alex Ferguson's men look to make the final push towards what they hope is a double.
He told MUTV: "Everything starts now and you can forget what's gone before this season.
"Now is the most important part. There are eight games in the league which are going to be decisive for the title race."
Van Nistelrooy hopes the search for silverware ends positively, enabling him to end the disappointment of last season.
He added: "I don't think the last 22 months is all negative. You can see the progress we are making compared with last season.
"But of course you want to win. That's what this club and the players want - we want to achieve this season."
Meanwhile, Paul Scholes has revealed that he is determined to put the disappointment of the Worthington Cup final defeat to Liverpool in Cardiff behind him.
The England midfielder explained: "Cardiff was disappointing and we want to make up for that by winning a trophy.
"The Champions League and Premiership were our main aims at the start of the season and hopefully we can get one of them.
"We're in a good position - if we can step up and play the way we can we've got every chance."
Manchester United skipper David Beckham admitted he should have scored more than the one goal that killed off Aston Villa at Villa Park.
The England skipper's first-half strike was enough to keep United's Premiership title hopes alive as they extended their unbeaten league sequence to 10 games.
But he told Sky Sports 1: "We made hard work of it. We had a few chances in the first half but didn't put them away. The ball was bobbling all over the pitch and that didn't help.
"I should have scored earlier but I was aware of the bobbly pitch, Still, I should have scored it."
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was happy with his side's defending but less pleased with some wayward finishing.
He said: "We had two or three chances to make it (victory) safe and when you don't take them you're hanging on.
"The boys were keen to finish it off and when we got our chances we needed a bit of composure at times. But when it's tight in a game the anxiety can creep in a bit."
RUUD READY FOR 'EXCITING' RUN-IN
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