MARCUS STEWART will make an emotional return to Huddersfield Town tonight warning Sunderland not to get carried away by their encouraging pre-season form.

Since Stewart was sold by Huddersfield to Ipswich Town in 2000, the Terriers have slumped from the First Division play-offs to the Nationwide League's bottom tier.

It has been an amazing slide, which culminated in Huddersfield's relegation to Division Three in May, and is a salutary lesson to Sunderland.

The Black Cats, who will begin the season on the back of a 15-match losing run in the League, recorded thumping wins over Durham City and York City before drawing at Grimsby Town on Saturday.

The results have boosted confidence on Wearside, but Stewart insists they must keep their run in perspective.

He said: "It's been a very good pre-season for us. We've scored a lot of goals and we've looked solid, and hopefully we can carry that into the season.

"But sometimes you can get a lot of results in pre-season and get confidence - but it only matters in proper games, and that's when you start judging people."

Stewart's departure from Huddersfield triggered their collapse from third place in Division One and he has been saddened by the dramatic downturn in their fortunes.

He scored 68 goals in 160 games during his spell at the McAlpine Stadium, underlining his ability to star in the Nationwide League.

Stewart, 30, added: "I'm looking forward to going back to Huddersfield; I haven't been back since I left.

"Selling me was the start of them not doing well, although I'm not totally sure what went on after that. If you've got money problems, as Huddersfield had, you need to get rid of some assets to balance the books.

"At the time, Huddersfield were third in the table. But they didn't even make the play-offs in the end, and Ipswich got promoted in the play-offs.

"I only support two teams - Huddersfield and Bristol Rovers - and I want them to turn things round."

Sunderland target Shaun Goater is expected to begin the new season with Manchester City, despite intense interest from a number of First Division clubs.

The Black Cats, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town and Cardiff City are all keen to sign Goater, who wants to quit Maine Road in search of regular first-team football.

But City are yet to receive an offer for Goater with less than three weeks to go before the Nationwide League campaign kicks off.

City manager Kevin Keegan said: "At the moment, it's looking like Shaun Goater will start the season with us.

"I don't have a problem with that; I think it's a bigger problem for Shaun.

"I can understand that and we've got to try and find that common ground whereby, if the right offer for Shaun and us comes in, we will do it.

"We have to take into account Shaun's situation. At the moment, he's very much a Manchester City player, but I'm aware that he wants to go and play football."

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Turns will line up for York City tonight in their friendly against Leeds United.

Turns is on trial at Bootham Crescent after the Third Division club missed out on former Middlesbrough man Marlon Beresford when he failed a medical.

York player-manager Chris Brass said: "Craig Turns is a good young goalkeeper who's been attracting interest from a number of clubs. He's someone who we probably won't be looking at for first choice but he now has this opportunity to impress.

"He's been on the bench at Sunderland and has been involved in the first team a number of times. It's now up to him to do well against Leeds."

Kevin Phillips, Thomas Sorensen and Gavin McCann have again been left out of the Sunderland squad for a pre-season friendly. All three are omitted for tonight's game at Huddersrfield, as is Kevin Kyle - who has a nagging knee problem.

Squad: Poom, Williams, Scott, Craddock, Clark, Gray, McCartney, Collins, Piper, McAteer, Whitley, Oster, Thornton, Butler, Stewart, Proctor, Brown, Ingham.

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