GARETH Taylor will return to Bramall Lane playing the best football of his life and he claimed: "It is all down to the gaffer."

Taylor was once again named in the Wales squad this week, now an established member of Mark Hughes's international plans, and he said: "This is probably the best form of my career.

"In the past I have been in and out of teams but the gaffer has given me a chance to play and really express myself. Last year was a good season for me and I had a few good games but then I would have a couple of bad ones.

"I think that I have been more consistent this time and so I would now be disappointed if I did not get a place in the Wales squad each time it is announced."

It is a bit of a funny month for Taylor who will have a busy time for the Clarets before sitting out a couple of games with suspension, against Leicester and Grimsby, hopefully returning against Bradford City before going off to play for Wales.

But for now all that matters is impressing again against a club that is still close to his heart and putting behind him the misery of Sunday's Cup defeat at Watford.

"The gaffer had a word with us when we got back in to training and he told us that we have to keep our chins up," he said. "If someone had said at the start of the season we would have two good cup runs we would have been well happy.

"The defeat was still hard to take but we have just got to knuckle down and get on with it. Every game is a big one but we just have to look to get as many points as possible.

"They've been playing well and from a personal point of view I am pleased to see it. I just hope that we get the result we are looking for. I have only been back a couple of times and we have had bad defeats on both occasions. I love going back and I got on well with the supporters.

"They have had a superb season and the form at home in the cups has been great. It is a good test for us and we have to put a bit of a run together to push for the play-offs.

"It is an important match but we haver to focus on every game. We have to turn our thoughts back to the league but we have been able to do that in recent games. If the Cup run was affecting us, it was doing it in the right way.

"We have had a lot of away games and I think I will forget what Turf Moor will look like because I am suspended for our next home games. The fixtures have come like that but we like playing games because if you are you are not doing so much training."

The Blades have already got their sights set on the FA Cup semi-final against either Arsenal or Chelsea next month and Taylor was in the last United side to reach that stage.

But for now everything is focused on tonight's match and Taylor will be hoping to find the net with goal number 13 of the season, the perfect way to put the Watford defeat behind him.