Manchester United goalkeeper Tom Heaton has spoken about facing Leeds United in quick succession this week.

The Elland Road club are one of Man United's fiercest local rivals, with their mutual animosity going back generations.

As the two teams prepare to play twice in the Premier League within a few days, Heaton is excited about the match ups.

“I think you can feel that spark," he said to the club website.

“Of course, at the end of the day it's a game where there's three points at stake, but you can't hide away from the fact that it's an age-old rivalry.

“You can always feel it in the atmosphere, home and away, how much it means to the club, the players and the fans. So yeah, I think there's always a bit of magic in the air.

“I think [playing Leeds] twice will certainly make it a high-octane week, but obviously we want to go and embrace it and try and come away with a positive result in both games."

“[I had] plenty of games against Leeds. Some really good encounters," he added on his time at United's youth setup.

“With the rivalries, there's added bite in the games. It's where you want to be as a footballer.

“You want to play in those good atmospheres, experience the fierce rivalries and come out on the right side of it. As a youth player that's no different."