MARK LILLIS knows the thrill of winning promotion with Town and urged the class of 2012: “Go and embrace Wembley!”

The club’s academy manager, 52, was part of Mick Buxton’s heroic teams of 1979-80 and 1982-83, when he was top scorer with 20 league goals.

Now an integral part of Simon Grayson’s backroom team, Lillis is delighted Town have a final shot at League I promotion on the biggest stage of all.

And he firmly believes the squad have the ability to defeat Sheffield United and raise the profile of Town and their academy in the Championship.

“It’s wonderful to be going to Wembley – especially for me when I’ve only been back at the club four months!” said Lillis, whose never-say-die playing style made him a massive favourite among the fans.

“I’ve been there twice as a coach and won and that’s the important thing, there’s no point going to Wembley and not winning.

“It was right the lads enjoyed getting through against MK Dons, but the focus since then has been on getting it right in the final and in what is a very big game.

“The play-offs are never easy – that was shown by the way MK Dons battled all the way to the end – but all credit to the manager and the staff, because there has been a calm around the place and you need that, so that everyone can focus. It would obviously be fantastic to beat Sheffield United and to go up to the Championship, not just for the club as a whole but for me as academy manager.

“Being at that level would mean higher-profile games for the club week in and week out and, in the academy, it would enable us to attract better young players into the club.

“That’s why it’s so important for everyone to focus on getting the job done and winning on Saturday.”

Lillis was coaching in Spain before being asked back to the club to replace Graham Mitchell in the academy, and he took charge of the first team for a short spell after the dismissal of Lee Clark and before chairman Dean Hoyle appointed Simon Grayson.

He is close to the senior players and is convinced they have what it takes to make it third time lucky in the play-offs after successive defeats to Millwall (semi-finals) and Peterborough (last season’s final at Old Trafford).

“It’s all about Huddersfield Town now and it’s all about the lads sticking together and getting the job done,” he said.

“You have to have belief in your ability and we’ve certainly got that. I always say ‘big players, big games’ and this is when you need your big players to perform.

“The players should really embrace Wembley and the whole occasion – because there is no better place to win.

“Danny Wilson, the Sheffield United manager, is a winner and so is our boss Simon Grayson – as he has proved with Blackpool and Leeds – so it will be down to which team handles it all on the day.

“There’s no reason why that can’t be us and there is no better feeling in the world of football than to win at Wembley.”

Lillis believes Town have the ultimate match winner in Jordan Rhodes, who has 40 goals for Town and six for the Scotland Under 21s this season.

“I got 20 goals when we got promoted in 1983, so he has beaten me by 20!” joked Lillis.

“All I can think is I must have been doing something wrong. I’ve been saying to Jordan since I came back to the club ‘40, 40, 40’ and now he’s gone and done it.

“I know he looks at me and thinks ‘silly old Lillis is at it again’, but it’s a fantastic achievement and, after the semi-final second leg I went down to the changing rooms and gave him a great big pat on the back.

“The great thing is he still has one more game left, so who knows how many goals he will finish the season with?

“I’m sure he would trade them all for the winner on Saturday, though, because that’s what this is all about, the club and the team going up.”

So what is his final bit of advice to the players?

“Go and enjoy yourselves, win and make yourselves heroes,” he answered.

“The one thing about Huddersfield Town is that if you role up your sleeves and give it your 100% best every time you pull on the shirt, the fans will love you.

“I still get asked about our promotions to this day, the players in those teams are always welcomed back as conquering heroes and these lads now have the chance to create that for themselves.”