The welcome Sheffield United skipper Billy Sharp believes Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder should receive on Lane return

The Sheffield-born Blades fan led his hometown club to two promotions during his time in charge, also helping to secure a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League before leaving a year ago.

The Blades were relegated back to the Championship last season and after a good run of form under Wilder’s predecessor Paul Heckingbottom, have put themselves in contention for a place in the play-offs.

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But Wilder’s Boro are also in the promotion picture, and moved a place and a point above United on Saturday with a 2-1 win over fellow top-six hopefuls Luton Town.

And Sharp, who was made United’s captain by Wilder and was another key man in his club’s rise through the divisions, said: “He should get a magnificent reception … for 30 seconds, and then it’s game time.

“Our fans will want to beat him and he’ll want to beat us. We’ve just got to play the game, not anything else.

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“Middlesbrough are a good side; he’s got them playing really well, a bit like he had us playing.

“It’s going to be a great game again, and hopefully we can come out on top. But if we don’t win the game, make sure we get something out of it.”

Sharp scored United’s goal against Nottingham Forest on Friday evening, but it proved not to be the winner as Forest scored an injury-time equaliser to earn a point.

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