James Beattie admits his teammates are giving him updates on whether his Golden Boot-chasing rivals have scored before he's even made it off the pitch and to the dressing room!

Beattie is currently joint top of he Premiership scoring charts with Arsenal's Thierry Henry after both netted again this weekend to take their respective totals to 22 each.

Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy is just behind on 20 goals while Alan Shearer sits on 17.

The Premiership's Golden Boot is one of the top accolades a striker can get and with only five games left to play this season Beattie is well aware that he could win it - and his teammates are too!

He joked: "The lads have got wind of it now and they let me know who else has scored pretty sharpish - on Saturday I made it halfway down the tunnel before I was told!

"It's great to even be involved in it, especially with the likes of Shearer, Van Nistelrooy and Henry.

"I'm just enjoying it and playing with a smile on my face."

Beattie also said that when a chance slips by, such as the header he put over the bar against Leeds on Saturday, it's even more frustrating now than it was before.

"I tried to get it down but it just went over the bar and that was probably my second best chance of the game, so I was angry at myself," he confessed.

"But overall it's great and I'm enjoying my football at the moment."

Beattie scored for the sixth consecutive league match for Saints against Leeds at St Mary's and also laid on a great goal for Anders Svensson.

"It's all there," said Beattie, speaking of his overall game. "I keep telling everyone - it's just a question of getting it out more often.

"I saw the defender coming and thought I can chip it over his head and then chip it in the middle for Anders.

"His first touch showed great balance and then a great finish as well."

He added: "It's going well for me. I just keep going, chipping away, getting the goals - but it's thanks to the lads for providing the chances.

"For the goal Brett laid on a great header for me and I just got it past Paul Robinson.

"Lots of people have been talking about Anders' goal and I got the ball on the halfway line and with the first touch got round the defender and, as it was described in the dressing room afterwards, laid on a perfect chip for Anders who showed brilliant control and a superb finish.

"It was a good game all in all apart from letting the two goals in at the end.

"But everybody's taking plusses away from the game and the gaffer said that was our best performance since Tottenham in the cup."

The 25-year-old striker added: "It was a great performance, as I think some people might have thought we'd slack off after the FA Cup semi-final.

"So it's massive, massive credit to the lads for the first 80 minutes.

"The fans were great. When we were 2-0 and 3-0 up they went a bit quiet and I don't know why, but they were great up at Villa Park and did themselves proud.

"They were probably a bit disappointed we didn't win 7-0 but everyone enjoyed it and, apart from the last 10 minutes it was a great performance."