Friday 17 October 2014 19:10, UK
Rotherham manager Steve Evans believes the chance to go above Friday night's opponents Leeds in the Sky Bet Championship is a mark of how far they have progressed.
The Millers are holding their own on their first return to the second tier in nine years after back-to-back promotions from League Two and have taken four points from recent games with promotion hopefuls Blackburn and Norwich.
A win by two goals or more over the West Yorkshire club in their first league meeting since 2005 would see Evans' men leapfrog their illustrious opponents, marking an impressive rise from the days when they nearly went out of business as a League Two outfit in 2008.
Despite Leeds being a far cry from the club that reached the Champions League semi-final in 2001, Evans still holds them in the highest regard.
"If we all take our biased heads off, Leeds United are the stand-out giants in the Championship," he said. "You look at the clubs who have just come down from the Premier League, but they are not Leeds United.
"But they are in the Championship because in football you are where you deserve to be, but it is a fixture that excites us.
"As a lad growing up I became aware of the likes of Billy Bremner and Peter Lorimer and you never forget that.
"But we are on a level playing field and we know a good result will take us above them in the table and to measure that progress in two years I have been here is staggering.
"Leeds United are a big, big club but we have won the right to be competing against them on level terms and when you have done that you want to be above them.
"We want to be above Leeds tomorrow night at 10 o'clock.
"In isolation is probably the biggest league game that the football club has faced in terms of where we have been and the name of Leeds United always brings glamour."
The Millers will be without former Leeds striker Luciano Becchio after he suffered a fractured heel during the international break, but Kirk Broadfoot (ankle) and Richie Smallwood (hamstring) are fit.
Somebody said to me that the stadium is sold out so that means this game is extremely important for them. But it is also for us.
Leeds head coach Darko Milanic admitted he had never heard of Rotherham before arriving in England late last month to replace David Hockaday, but having watched video footage and listened to scouting reports had the utmost respect for the South Yorkshire club.
When asked what he knew about Friday night's opponents, Milanic said: "A lot. I didn't see them live but with our scouts and myself, we've watched games and I think we are well prepared.
"They are extremely prepared and hard workers. They do a lot of pressing, a lot of simple play - direct to the striker and they are very good at taking the second ball. They can be dangerous from that.
"I have to be honest, (before I arrived) not so much. But now I know, I have full respect for them.
"Somebody said to me that the stadium is sold out so that means this game is extremely important for them. But it is also for us."
Milanic confirmed academy manager Neil Redfearn would not be in the dugout at New York Stadium.
Leeds president Massimo Cellino said when he appointed Milanic that Redfearn would still be involved in first-team affairs, but the Slovenian said he was too busy with academy duties.
Redfearn had been linked to the recent managerial vacancy at York after guiding Leeds to three wins and a draw during his latest spell as caretaker-boss.
Milanic added that defender Stephen Warnock would return to the side, but hinted Brazilian midfielder Adryan, on the bench in the home draw against Sheffield Wednesday before the international break, was not ready to make his full debut.
