Sheffield United: 'He is an unbelievable footballer'

Chris Wilder's side enter tomorrow's game against Tottenham Hotspur ranked sixth - unbeaten in four outings - and three points ahead of their latest opponents.

McGoldrick's return to action following injury has helped United consolidate their status as the highest of the newly promoted clubs and Fleck insisted their upturn in form is no coincidence.

"He (McGoldrick) is unbelievable to play with, he said. "He’s a joy to watch at times, I would think, with some of the things he does on the pitch. We see it all the time on training ground.

"As a midfielder, he helps us out with a lot of the positions he picks up. Sometimes you find him at left-back picking the ball up and running through. From playing behind him as a midfielder he brings so much to the team."

Fleck also impressed during last weekend's 3-0 win over Burnley, which lifted United to within touching distance of fifth-placed Arsenal ahead of their meeting with Leicester City.

The 28-year-old performances were rewarded with another call-up by Scotland, when Steve Clarke unveiled his selections for games against Cyprus and Kazakhstan later this month.

"I suppose I’d have to say it’s the best form of my career because of the level I’m playing at now and the division I’m in, Fleck, previously of Rangers and Coventry City, said. "It’s all been down to hard work and my team-mates are playing very well at the moment, working hard as a group.

"I think it took me a few games to get to grips with it. It was maybe a bit of a shock at the start but I seem to be getting to grips with it now."

Fleck joined United following Wilder's appointment in May 2016, and has since won promotions from League One and the Championship. Despite their rapid climb through the divisions, he revealed the team spirit which fulled their rise out of the EFL remains intact.

"In League One we seemed to have a lot of days off as a group, we can’t do that as much now," Fleck said. "There will always be time to enjoy yourselves as a group but the standards have to be a little bit higher, as when the manager brings in new players. It’s just acclimatising to everything really to get better."

"I well understand there’s going to be times in the season where we’re not in form but we’ve just got to keep working as hard as we can to keep it going," he added. "It’s just about being better at everything we do, in training and off-the-field stuff."