YORK City Knights boss James Ford admits having fond memories of his time at Sheffield Eagles - but insists any friendships go out the window this weekend.

Ford, then a flying threequarter, had three-and-a-bit years in South Yorkshire from late 2005 to the end of 2008, topping the Eagles' try-scoring charts in that time with 49 in 79 appearances, before signing for Super League side Castleford.

Tomorrow he will be reacquainted with his old club - and long-serving head coach Mark Aston - when they come to Bootham Crescent for a near-table-top Championship encounter.

Asked if he still had affection for the Eagles, he said: "Of course. I loved playing for Sheffield. I have so many positive memories from my time there and many close rugby league friends are there. It's nice to catch up with them and share stories.

"Mark Aston is central to the spirit there and he's done a fantastic job over a number of years."

Asked if those friendships go by the wayside this week, Ford declared: "Without a doubt.

"I played for Mark and have a lot of respect for Mark - but I want to beat him."

Aston, who was man of the match in the Eagles' momentous Challenge Cup success in 1998 and holds the club's points and goals records, has since spent a whopping 18 years as coach, racking up more than 500 games at the helm, and leading them to back-to-back Championship title triumphs in 2012 and 2013.

"I was not fortunate enough to play alongside him, although he dropped into training a few times to show us how it was done," quipped Ford. "I'm not sure that carried the message that was intended."

Both York and Sheffield have begun this season superbly, each with five wins from six outings. The Eagles had notched only seven victories throughout all of the 2018 campaign, recovering to finish eighth after losing their first seven fixtures.

Asked if he was surprised by their upturn this term, Ford said not.

"I watched them a number of times last year and they weren't great," he reasoned. "But Mark Aston has shown over a number of years that he's very capable of rebuilding sides and getting players to play to their maximum.

"He's brought in a number of players and he's now got a really strong squad that is capable of challenging this season. I'm not surprised by their results or their performances, and in many ways it's good to see."

Asked how the Eagles compared to the big guns York have seen off this season in Leigh, Bradford and Halifax, Ford said: "They're right up there.

"They're a good side and their results speak for themselves.

"They've got threats across the park. The back three are a real handful, they've got two very experienced halves who will complement each other really well, and they've got a lot of tenacity in the forward pack.

"It will be a great game. I'm looking forward to the game and also catching up with some of the Sheffield supporters.

"We've had a good week in prep but we will need to be at our very best - and I'm looking forward to seeing us at our very best."