ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman hopes his former captain Luke Joyce will get a warm reception from the Reds fans when he makes his first return to the Wham Stadium.

Joyce left Stanley in the summer after six seasons with the club to join today’s opponents Carlisle United for a second spell.

And Coleman, who signed Joyce following his departure from Carlisle in 2009, hopes the fans will welcome back the 28-year-old.

He said: “I hope so. He’s been a cracking servant to the club, and to myself and Jimmy (Bell) when he’s played for us.

“We were the ones who took a punt on him.

“I was disappointed that we couldn’t re-sign him because he was our captain and we thought we’d done everything we could to keep him but people move on and football moves on.

“I wished him all the best before the first game of the season and congratulated him on his performance at Anfield (in the Capital One Cup) so I’ve got no animosity with Luke.

“I really hope he does well.

“Luke’s a fantastic footballer and any success he gets in the game he’ll have earned because of his hard work.”

Stanley begin the day in sixth place in League Two, one point behind Carlisle but with two games in hand on all the five sides above them.

The Reds travel to Northampton, currently second, on Monday for their second testing festive fixture before opening 2016 with an away day at play-off hunters Mansfield.