Paul Heckingbottom anticipating great reception for Chris Wilder on his Sheffield United return

In the cut and thrust of the Championship, rarely does a week go by when emotions are not running incredibly high.

However, they will be running particularly high when former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder returns to Bramall Lane for the first time since leaving the Blades last year.

It is almost a year since the curtain came down on Wilder's reign, which yielded two promotions and a stunning march into the top half of the Premier League.

Sheffield United are also Wilder's boyhood club but he will be returning to the stadium he created a slew of happy memories at as manager of Championship rivals Middlesbrough.

Speaking ahead of the meeting between the sides, Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom said: "He'll get a great one [reception], course he will.

"When Chris left, we had no fans about anyway, football was a strange time at that point but its great to have him back. There will be lots of people he's seen, and lots of Blades fans he's seen in and around the city he has said goodbye to but not obviously Bramall Lane.

"He'll enjoy it, he'll want the game out of the way without a doubt and then he can begin to move forward because that first one, it is different. But we can't get distracted by that, us as staff, us as players, we just want to win."

Although sentiment may be rife in the stands, there will be no allowance for it on the pitch as both sides are locked in a battle for promotion.

Despite the significance of the occasion, Heckingbottom has claimed it will not affect his former colleague Wilder on the day.

He said: "It'll be like playing him any other time we have and we'll share a beer afterwards.

"We want to beat each other and we'll share a beer afterwards. I've been in this position what Chris is in now,