PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM says that Wednesday evening's glamour FA Cup fifth-round appointment with Tottenham Hotspur has the potential to be a 'special night' that everyone connected with the club should embrace.

The Blades, in second place in the Championship and well positioned to make a return to the Premier League following relegation in 2020-21, take a break from their intense promotion push to focus on cup matters and Heckingbottom insists it is a welcome switch of emphasis in a fixture which will also be televised live.

On the task facing the Blades, seeking to book a quarter-final spot for the third time in four seasons, Heckingbottom said: "I think it will be a special night.

"We have enjoyed every cup game we have had this season. We had a great game away at Millwall and a really good performance and I think it was an important game for a lot of players.

"We had two really exciting games with Wrexham, which were really strange in their own way and it was the magic of the cup with a really good atmosphere.

"Distraction is the wrong word, it's just a good change from the league. I think you can see our approach in every game and whichever players have been on the pitch, they want to win the game and Wednesday will be no different, other than the calibre of player and the team we are playing against. We can't get much better than that.

"I think it will be a special night which everyone should enjoy - staff, players and fans. The more you get a positive noise from the crowd, the more you will get a positive response on the pitch.

"Everyone knows we are a front foot team who like to be aggressive and any noise, passion and energy that the crowd can generate helps us perform that way and that's what the fans are so important."

Bramall Lane can stage another 'special' cup night against Tottenham Hotspur, insists Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom