Steve Bruce determined to work around the clock at Aston Villa

The 55-year-old is preparing to take charge of his third game just ten days after being appointed on Saturday when Villa host Fulham. Bruce spent three months out of the game after leaving Hull last summer and is already relishing being back at the coal face.

During a pre-match press conference held early on Friday morning, he joked: "I've been used to getting my breakfast at this time!"

He added: "The last week I've been going to bed at 9.30pm, exhausted! I'm getting used to working again."

Bruce became Villa's fifth permanent manager in just 20 months when he replaced Roberto Di Matteo but is determined to provide some much-needed stability.

He will head into Saturday's game looking to build on a haul of four points from his first two matches, which included Tuesday's 2-1 win at Reading, Villa's first victory on their travels since August last year.

More than 4,000 supporters travelled to the Madejski Stadium to watch the game and Bruce admitted he has been struck by the sheer size of his new club.

He said: "It really is a privilege to manage a club like this. In fact, I've been waiting 20 years to be at a club of this size. I will give it everything I can.

"It's really hit home how big this club is since I joined. It's a huge club within this country. If we can get it up and running with a few wins then who knows the potential."

Bruce spent four years at the KCOM Stadium before leaving in the summer and his managerial career has also taken in spells at Wigan, Sunderland and Blues.

He said: "I did nearly three years at Sunderland which seems a long time for them. That is stability for them.

"I did four years at Hull, seven years down the road, a couple of years at Wigan.

"If I can do four or five years here like I did at Hull then I know the club will be in a far better place. That's got to be the aim."

Tuesday's win at Reading was just Villa's second of the season, with Di Matteo axed after they won just one of their first 12 games.

Bruce added: "We all know the game now. We all know the game in management. You have to win. You won't be given time. I won't be given 18 months, two years or whatever.

"You are given six or eight weeks. You have to hit the ground running and if you do that it gives you the time to put something in situ that will help the club."