Sheffield Wednesday v Rotherham United: Is it a derby? Liam Palmer refuses to say the words ‘Sheffield United’ as he weighs up importance of Millers clash

It is perhaps the biggest match in the calendar for the table-topping Millers, who are riding high on five consecutive wins and have put themselves in a good position to take the league title.

Wednesday have been slower starters but have drawn in both the playoff spots and top two with an impressive run on five wins in six.

For their longest-serving player Liam Palmer, there’s no question of whether the clash can be categorised as a derby. Though he made clear it’s not the biggest match-up in a Wednesday book.

“Of course it is,” he said with a smile. “It’s obviously the next nearest one aside from – I don’t even want to say it – those ones down the road.

“We’ve got every right to call it a derby. There’s a few that are from Rotherham but are Sheffield Wednesday fans and they’ll be hoping for a win from us and that’s what we aim to do.”

Rotherham did the double on Wednesday last season and Palmer is keen to inflict the same fate on the Millers this time around.

He’s played five times against them and has mixed memories of the fixture; losing twice, drawing twice and winning once.

“The standout memory that sticks in my mind is when Steve Evans ran on the pitch at their place,” he said. “We ended up scoring late, late and our physio at the time, Paul Smith, who is from that area, lost all professional inhibitions and sprinted down the touchline. Great pictures, great memories.

“That’s the passion that drives the fans and local players as well. We’ll be after some more scenes like that, definitely.

"We have been in good form at our home ground," Palmer continued.

"The fans will be right behind us. They have been brilliant in the last couple of months and long may that continue. I think they can see how well we have been working as a team. Everyone has been fighting to get as high up the league as quickly as possible so we are looking forward to the game."