The date is 2 May 1988 and the Blues have made the trip to Upton Park to face the Irons. In a superb solo display, Leroy Rosenior – Liam’s father – put West Ham firmly in control of the fixture by netting an impressive brace. However, he was later sent off for lashing out at Chelsea defender Steve Clarke.

Sitting in the stands and watching this all unfold was a young Liam Rosenior. And as the son of a footballer who featured more than 60 times for the East Londoners, our head coach knows the strength of feeling that comes with games between Chelsea and West Ham.

‘If you know the history of the two clubs, it’s a big game,’ our head coach explained during his pre-match press conference.

‘It’s a big game, a London derby. I understand it as my dad played for West Ham – he hit Steve Clarke [and was sent off], I was there!

‘I used to watch that game over and over again on VHS because I saw my dad score for once! He’s now supporting Chelsea, by the way.’

It means when we go head-to-head with the Hammers for the 126th time in our history later today, Rosenior will lead us with a clear appreciation of the importance of the fixture to those in the stands.

‘I know what it means, and I think that helps me,’ Rosenior added. ‘We’re going to need energy, and we’re going to need to win duels, set-plays, tackles – that’s what these games are about.

‘We know how big the game is. I’ve made it clear to the players that what’s happened in the past is gone, it’s about the next game, and we have to make sure that, against an in-form team, we’re at a top-level.’