The Nineties saw Chelsea achieve success that could only have been imagined during the previous decade.

After dark days in the Eighties, when the club's financial situation and instability in team management did not allow for some great names to achieve all they deserved, the Blues were finally winning the silverware we had desired.

FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup triumphs all arrived by the end of the century, and from this period came many modern day heroes for True Blues across the world, one those heroes, Tore Andre Flo.

So when the former Chelsea front-man was in England last week to practice for his new role on Norway's version of Strictly Come Dancing, chelseafc.com caught up with him to reminisce on his time with the Blues. But before that, what made the Chelsea legend put on his dancing shoes?

'Now I have stopped playing I have been searching for a new challenge and this is obviously a very big one for me,' he explained.

'It can be fun and there is a lot of training involved, which I like, so I thought I would have a go.'

Always up for a challenge, the practically unheard of Norwegian signed for Chelsea under Ruud Gullit's regime in 1997. He joined from Brann Bergen for a mere £300,000.

And despite being unknown in England at the time, Tore burst onto the Chelsea scene with an unforgettable debut during the first league game of the new season.

'It was away to Coventry and we lost 2-1, but I scored,' remembers the former Blue.

'It wasn't nice to lose, but I came on and scored a goal, so it was nice to have that straight away, it made me a bit more comfortable of course. But it would have been better to win.'

By the end of his first season Tore had been fully-written into Chelsea folklore, as his 15 goals helped the club to a respectable fourth place finish, but most importantly, the man from Norway scored a hat-trick against Tottenham in our famous 6-1 victory at White Hart Lane.

'That was quite strange because I didn't know Tottenham was the real opposite of Chelsea.

'Everyone really wanted to beat Tottenham; I didn't know that, so it was really nice to have a hat-trick in a match like that.

'It was a derby and there was plenty of noise between the supporters there, so it was good.'

Unaware of our rivalry with the north Londoners, Tore's innocence and modesty is something that really stands as he recalls the game, especially when he is told that the Stamford Bridge faithful still sing of that day

'That is really nice to hear of course, I wasn't aware of that either, but I understand.

'Whenever I talk to supporters they mention that match.'

By 1998, Tore had cemented himself in the heart of every Blue two wonder goals in the Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final against Real Betis, which helped Chelsea towards our first European trophy since 1971.

'Just before kick off I was told I was in the starting line-up and before we had played 12 minutes I had scored twice.

'I just went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and of course it was really good to see both of them go into the net!

'So that was a really nice way to begin that match, and it was a really important match as well.'

Not only did our Norwegian international achieve all this in his debut season, he managed to do it inside one of the most competitive Chelsea attacks of all-time.

'There was a lot of good players, when I came there was [Gianfranco] Zola, [Gianluca] Vialli, Mark Hughes and Gullit himself who could play striker.

'So from day one there was really tough competition. But I felt at home straight away and it was just a wonderful place to be.

'Zola was just a great person for that, he included everybody and he helped the young players to get into it and into playing well, he was one of the best players to play with.'

With his first season out of the way, Tore went on to take part in our first serious title challenge for decades in 1998/99.

Unfortunately we finished four points shy of eventual treble winners Manchester United, but not before Tore had scored a number of late winners, like the time he headed home a last-gasp goal against Aston Villa.

Our final league position that season allowed us to embark on our first foray into the Champions League in 1999/2000; a campaign that saw us drawn against Barcelona in the quarter-finals, and two Tore goals in the space of four minutes helped us to a 3-0 half-time lead at the Bridge.

'That was one of the best moments for me at Chelsea.

'To score two goals against a club like that and in the quarter-final of the Champions League, it was like a dream, it was just wonderful.

'There was definitely a good feeling after that match.'

In the second leg we travelled to the Nou Camp and despite coming within less than 10 minutes of victory, were defeated 5-1 after extra-time. It was Tore who found the net for us.

'You won't get a bigger stadium than the Nou Camp, nor an atmosphere like that, so it was a nice experience to score, it is just a shame that it didn't count in the end.'

Tore's career with Chelsea ended in 2000, only months after FA Cup victory. With the arrival of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen, Flo's appearances began to dwindle, and he moved to Rangers for a record £12 million, 40 times more than the amount he had arrived at Chelsea for.

Although he hit the net more than once every two games there, he never rose to the heights he had at Chelsea, nor did he at the other clubs that followed. Tore's time with Chelsea will stay with him forever.

'My time with Chelsea was the best period of my career.

'I had some wonderful years there. I came in and we won two big things in the first season. I had 50 goals for Chelsea, with everything included.

'The atmosphere was great. I enjoyed coming in every day and training, because there were world class players and you could learn a lot from them.

'You also played big matches every week and the whole time there was enjoyable. We won the FA Cup in 2000 and let's include the Charity Shield as well!

'We had some great success, the only thing we didn't win was the League, but, oh well, we did well.'

Many of the greats from Tore's Chelsea days have now moved into management.

With the news this week that Zola could be swapping Italian Under 21 football for the Barclays Premier League, and Dan Petrescu coaching in Romania while Dennis Wise has also controlled the reins at Leeds, was Tore surprised that his fellow Blues went into management?

'Not Dennis Wise, I thought he would definitely go into it.

'But we got a lot of experience as professional players and maybe it is the only thing that we can do.'

Once his playing career was far behind him, Tore did begin to follow the path of his fellow Blues into coaching.

'I did a Level One course, just when I finished playing myself, and I have started out helping with my son's team.

'I enjoy following my son so far, but I don't know whether I will take it any further, but we'll see.'

Tore will begin his Strictly Come Dancing campaign on Norway's TV2 tomorrow night, and with the efficient footwork he used to display on the pitch, we're sure he'll do well.

By Christian Collison

You can watch Tore's progress in the competition online by clicking here.