Sheffield United: Blades must embrace the pressure of being League One's biggest club, says Dominic Calvert-Lewin

United are preparing for a sixth season in English football’s third tier and will kick off the new season in August as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to reach the Championship.

With that tag comes a weight of expectation, too - Nigel Adkins’ much-fancied side finished 11th last season - but the 19-year-old believes United are well-equipped to deal with it under Adkins’ successor, Chris Wilder.

“Every season is a new season, and we can’t dwell on what’s gone before,” the striker, who scored 10 goals on loan at Wilder’s Northampton Town last season, said.

“We’ve got to set the standards in pre-season and go from there. I’m sure we’ll be favourites again, that’s to be expected when you play for a club like this, and you’ve got to see it as a challenge.

“There are a lot of loyal fans who come and watch us, so you’ve got to use that to spur you on.”

Calvert-Lewin made nearly 30 appearances for Northampton during the first half of last season, which ended with them lifting the League Two title and celebrating promotion to League One.

“We went out to be really aggressive, really positive and basically took it from there,” Calvert-Lewin added.

“It certainly worked because you’ve only got to look at the table to see the results.

“They way the manager likes to go about things, I think it will really excite the fans.”

Former Blades defender Harrison McGahey yesterday joined Rochdale.