FOUR years after first playing Sunday League football, Shrimpers left-back Johnny Herd will again be lining up against Chelsea tonight.

The 19-year-old, who has emerged through the ranks at Roots Hall, has enjoyed a fairytale rise into the Southend first team.

And he hopes there can be a happy ending this evening when Blues take on the Premier League giants.

“All this has come about in such a short space of time for me,” said Herd.

“I only started playing Sunday morning football at the age of 15 in the Hunts and District League and I can’t really believe it.”

“People have always been behind me, telling me that I could be a footballer, but coming to Southend and getting into the first team and playing Chelsea twice is just unbelievable.”

Herd impressed too in the first meeting between the teams and grew in confidence the longer the game went on.

He regularly brought the ball out of the defence and, despite being up against a number of household names, Herd claimed not to be uptight before kick-off.

“A lot of supporters might expect me to say that I was nervous, but I wasn’t. If anything, I was excited,” claimed Herd.

“Although, when we lined up in the tunnel waiting to go out, I was standing alongside Frank Lampard and I thought, ‘Wow!’”

“But I had a lot of confidence in myself and the games against the very best show you whereabouts you are.

“I was really happy with what I did and I’m still buzzing about it now to be honest.”

Herd’s display also earned praise from club chairman Ron Martin who claimed in the Echo that Blues no longer needed to sign a left-back during the January transfer window.

“I was obviously very happy with what the chairman said,” admitted the youngster.

“I was surprised but it was good to see. I have been getting loads of nice comments from fans too and my mobile phone barely stopped ringing for hours after the match.

“There has also been lots of stuff left on my Facebook page.”

Herd now hopes for more of the same this evening as the Shrimpers attempt to secure one of the greatest ever upsets in the history of the competition.

“I can’t wait — it’s just like the original tie at Stamford Bridge,” said the teenager.

“I’m sure it will be a similar game and we will have to ride our luck at times, but I also hope that we can create a bit more.

“Chelsea are the big favourites but, then again, everyone would’ve expected them to have won the first game so who knows what can happen.”