Saturday mornings were always the same, wake up an hour later than normal and prepare yourself for the day ahead with Sky Sports' Soccer AM.

That show was written, produced and presented by Tim Lovejoy, a name now synonymous with football, and for 12 years the cheeky face behind Soccer AM helped remind us what the weekends were all about.

He is a man mad about football, who, as a die hard Blue, would sell his kidneys for a match ticket. Fortunately though, Tim doesn't have to, as he has half the Chelsea team on speed dial.

Lucky for us too, because without his kidneys Tim would never have made it to Stamford Bridge to tell us about what makes a Blue and a certain reoccurring dream that keeps him going.

But with a unique father who followed both Arsenal and Tottenham, it is a wonder how Tim turned blue at all, but it does help to explain his first league game.

'The first game I ever went to was an England match and then I asked my dad to take us to a league match. I supported Chelsea and my brother supported Spurs, so he took us to Watford!

'But when I first came to Chelsea I just remember coming off the tube and the grandness of it all and the smells.

'I am sure everybody would be the same, when you walk up Fulham Road and the horses and the manure and all the fans and the burgers, that's my first memory of Chelsea.

'Going to the Shed and how enormous it was, being in the middle of it all and being quite scared with the surging of the crowd, and the smell of tobacco because everybody was smoking fags, that's what I remember.

'It's bizarre but that's how I fell in love with football, the feeling of belonging which is the greatest feeling in the world.'

By the time Tim had become a regular at the Bridge it was the era of Kerry Dixon, John Bumstead and David Speedie, and with such great footballing influences, it seems only natural to build your own playing style around such idols, well it does for Tim anyway.

'I like to think I have got the skills of Pat Nevin, the goal-scoring ability of Kerry Dixon, the tenacity of David Speedie and I am as solid as Johnny Bumstead and Mickey Droy.

'I'm a bit of everything, I am a combination.

'And do you know what, I still have a recurring dream that I am actually playing for Chelsea.

'The last time I had it, it was bizarrely José Mourinho, even though it was Avram Grant who was the boss at the time, who was in charge.

'He let me play just in front of the back four, doing a job, a good engine. I still wake up and think I could still probably do a job here.'

At this point we tried to move on, but Tim seemed happy to stay on the subject, so we indulged him...

'I remember coming to Chelsea and thinking I am going to be playing here one day and it has never happened, but I still think it could be done.

'I would like to play just in front of the back four. I think I would be a [Claude] Makelele sort of player.

'I would knock a little ball out to Joey [Cole] and let him go on his little maze-up.

'I would make a couple of forward runs every match, but I don't think I would be shooting as much as Frank [Lampard], although I would give it my best shot.

'And I don't have any power left in my shot. In fact, I never had any power in my shot.

'But I could sit there and get in the way and I can do a job.

'If Big Phil needs someone to step in then he doesn't have to look too far.

'I am busy at the moment, but I would drop the lot.

'I am not so sure about Middlesbrough or Newcastle away though, it is quite a long way to go.

'But any of the home matches I am there, and London matches I can play and any of the glamour ties in Europe,' hopes Tim.

Getting back into the realms of reality, we think it's time to ask for Tim's opinion of our new Brazilian manager, and, true to form, he doesn't mince his words.

'It is just so exciting, he is clearly a great manager and he clearly knows how to deal with the stars, and we do have an abundance of them.

'I don't think he can do any wrong and I think the league is ours.

'I think we will have won it by, at the very latest, the end of April, probably the beginning of March.' predicts Tim.

With the arrival of Felipe Scolari has come one of Portugal's most renowned players, and again, Tim feels it's time to lay down the law on what the newest Blue means for the club and a long line of new recruits.

'Deco is phenomenal. He is a great player.

'Every time you see these players arrive at Chelsea you have to pinch yourself.

'I remember when Glenn Hoddle arrived and it was exciting, and then Gullit arrived and I thought 'this is unbelievable' and then Zola and Vialli etc, I just think it is great when we get all these players.

'It's brilliant for Chelsea and brilliant for the Premier League.

'A few seasons ago there was a rumour that Zinédine Zidane was going to Liverpool and obviously it would have been a nightmare for us, but I was so excited, he was the best player in the world and probably the best player ever.

'I am one of those fans, who when we are playing Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo is injured I am gutted, because I want to see the best XI versus the best XI.

'I always want to see the best players and we have been spoilt here at Chelsea over the last few seasons, and I don't think there is ever a moment when we can complain.'

As the interview draws to a close, there is just enough time to ask Tim about the column he writes in every home game's match programme.

'It is one of the best things I have ever done in my career, to actually write for the Chelsea programme.

'As a kid I never thought I would do it. It is really bizarre that every time I pick up a programme and look at the back page I get this buzz, because I write in the Chelsea programme. I have something to do with Chelsea.

'I am going to do the programme again next season, I can't wait. I am trying to think about some ideas to write about now.

'But as I say, I have not given up on the dream of getting out onto the pitch and playing, I know I can do it, I just need that chance.

'Actually, that's my first headline for the programme next season; I can still do a job!'

If you say so Tim.


By Christian Collison