Oliver Norwood says Sheffield United will be fuelled by dreams in Wembley FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City

If you disrespect the Blades, they do not forget.

Billy Sharp bit back at Wrexham after an epic FA Cup fourth-round tie and a week later something else clearly stoked up Oliver Norwood.

"A team beat us in February and the noise they made in the tunnel probably lit the fire in us to say, ‘No, that’s not happening’," says the midfielder, whose side lost to Middlesbrough and Millwall that month.

But there will be no chip on the shoulder at Wembley against what the ex-Manchester United trainee calls "one of the best teams in the world", just a chance to dream.

"It could be a fairytale season if we win the (FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City) on Saturday and get promotion, so we can dream," says the serial promotion-winner. "Growing up these are the games you dream of.

"As a young boy watching football it was always the FA Cup final, such a huge occasion in football. Just to be a part of it would be incredible.

"We know what we're up against but it’s 11 v 11 on the day. Hopefully they have an off day and we have a good day. There's nothing to fear.

"It's been excitement since we got the result on Tuesday (beating Bristol City) and then results the other night (which put them within thee points of automatic promotion). There’s a real buzz about the place.

"Defeat is not the end of the world. One team beat us and thought they were promoted in February.

"You can’t get too carried away and you can’t get too low. For us players who've been through it's been guiding the ones who haven't at times and keeping calm heads."

He was an unused substitute for Championship Reading against Arsenal in the 2015 semi-final, which the Gunners won 2-1 in extra-time.

"These occasions don't come around that often," he says. "You might never get to play at Wembley again, so soak it all up and give it everything we’ve got.

"How can you not go and enjoy it? You never know what can happen.

"I remember senior players saying to me take it all in and now I'm saying it to them (his Blades team-mates) I hope they do listen."

The match should have extra meaning for Norwood, who started every league game this season until Tommy Doyle came into the side at Sunderland, but has only kicked off one of six since.

"Olly was performing really well and sometimes there comes points where you want to change things or feel like you need to change things," says manager Paul Heckingbottom.

"We've won all the games when we've done it that way so you'd be foolish to ignore that if you're sitting in my seat. But that doesn't devalue anything (done by) anyone not in the XI at the moment or make me think they can't perform in that system."

With Doyle and James McAtee ineligible because they are on loan from Manchester City, Norwood should get reward for his professionalism, with the latter always quick to point out how much the senior man helps him.

"It's part of being a squad," says Norwood. "Chris Wilder used to say the badge on the front is bigger than the name on the back.

"It's disappointing not to play but you can't let that get in the way of supporting your team-mates and playing your part when you come on.

"Nobody in or out of the team sulks, everyone trains to their full potential and the manger wouldn’t allow it anyway. The players wouldn’t allow it."

But dreaming is perfectly acceptable.