Perhaps it is a reflection of how modern football is, but the only player still at Chelsea from when Jon Harley left seven-and-a-half years ago is talismanic skipper John Terry.

While the Blues captain misses tomorrow’s FA Cup fifth round tie at Vicarage Road through suspension, Harley’s road to potentially facing his first club has been a varied one, taking him via Fulham, Sheffield United, West Ham United and Burnley, before he was snapped up on a free transfer by Aidy Boothroyd last summer.

By the 29-year-old’s own admission though, this last 16 encounter is the “perfect draw”, and he said: “Even having them on our pitch, obviously it’s not the best playing surface at the moment due to the weather and the rugby, so I think anything’s possible.

“But it is a great draw for us. I think the fans are going to enjoy it, having one of the best teams in the world coming to our ground – it’s a fantastic tie for us.”

When I spoke to Harley at the Hornets’ London Colney training ground on Tuesday, there was a relaxed atmosphere like any other day of the week. However, one suspects the excitement and tension will have risen by now as Watford’s left-sided player explained.

“I think come Thursday, Friday when we’re looking at it a little bit more tactically, we’ll realise how big the game is.

“But at the same time it’s also a nice rest from having the pressures of a league game where we haven’t been doing as well as we would have liked, and we can go out there, just do ourselves proud – no one’s expecting us to win, but we put pressure on ourselves – and if we can come out with anything it’s brilliant.

“But it’s all about going out there and proving a point to people and putting ourselves on show.”

So how does a team that is the third from bottom of the Championship surprise a side that, by its own extremely high standards, is currently under-achieving in fourth place in the Premier League?

“We’ll have a job to do and the manager will give us our tactical plan of how we’re going to do it - he obviously knows them better than anyone else,” Harley said. “Tactically I’m sure we’ll be spot on, but it’s just one of those where I’m sure your adrenalin and everything will kick in and the big event’s going to take over.”

Harley knew earlier this week though, that he is by no means a certain starter tomorrow, despite appearing in the majority of Watford’s games this season.

Lloyd Doyley has been first choice left-back in recent matches, while the re-emergence of Jobi McAnuff means he is holding down a position on that side of midfield. However, even if that pair start again tomorrow, Brendan Rodgers could still accommodate Harley elsewhere, particularly if he decides to bolster the midfield ranks.

But, asked how he felt about being in and out of the starting line-up currently, the player responded: “I want to be playing every week – I’m like anyone else – and it’s down to me just to get my head down and show the manager in training what I can do. And if I get chance, when I come on as sub or if I start a game, to try and stake my claim for a place in the team. But it’s just about being professional and getting on with the job.

“I want to be fighting with the lads to get us a much more respectable league position, plus also I want to play on Saturday and help us get to Wembley, that’s my target as well.

“I know I’ve played a lot of games this season, but I want to play every single game possible and I’m just going to knuckle down and fight to get back in the team.”