Beaming Berba

United players and fans alike left Old Trafford in buoyant mood after Saturday's 7-1 drubbing of Blackburn, but the man sporting the biggest smile of all was five-goal hero Dimitar Berbatov.

The Bulgarian had not found the net since his hat-trick against Liverpool back in September, but it took him just two minutes to kick-off the scoring against a poor Rovers side.

Berbatov went on to find the net a further four times equalling the feat achieved by only a handful of players in the Premier League era including Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.

"It was an fantastic afternoon for the team and for me personally - I still can't quite believe I scored five goals," he told MUTV afterwards.

"I've scored five in a match before, but it was a long time ago back home in Bulgaria. To do it in the Premier League is a great feeling especially when only a few players have done it. To stand alongside the likes of Shearer and Cole is a great honour.

"It [the goal drought] had concerned me a little bit because when you're a striker people just tend to look at the number of goals you score, but, for me, my game isn't just about goals. It's about how you play and how you link-up with your team-mates.

"Today though, for me, it was all about goals which I'm pleased about. I don't have a favourite, but the first one was probably the most important because it was early in the game and it gave us the confidence to go on and play the way we know we can."

The result moves United into top spot above both Arsenal and Chelsea, who travel to Newcastleon Sunday. And Berbatov hopes United can march on from here.

"We're in a good position and we want to stay there," he insisted. "I know there's still a long way to go but with the squad we have and the ability we showed I'm confident we can."