LIFELONG Blackburn fan Gareth Ainsworth will finally fulfil a childhood dream tomorrow when he steps out at Ewood Park in the colours of Queen's Park Rangers.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who started his career as an apprentice with Rovers, has had to wait patiently for the chance to face the club he grew up supporting as a boy.

But, 14 years after he was shown the door by Blackburn as a teenager, Ainsworth's date with destiny has finally arrived and he admits, for the first time ever, he will be hoping Rovers lose this weekend, when he and his QPR team-mates attempt to pull off an FA Cup giantkilling act at his favourite club's expense.

"This is the first time in 14 years I'll be coming back to face Blackburn and it's been the only thing on my mind all week," said Ainsworth, who started what he hopes will be the perfect week by scoring in QPR's 1-1 draw with Rovers' arch-rivals, Burnley, on Monday.

"My parents asked me before the draw was made who do you want?' and I said Blackburn away', as I do every year.

"For me, this is bigger than playing Chelsea or Manchester United because Ewood Park is a big part of my history and I grew up supporting Blackburn as a kid.

"My family are all lifelong Rovers fans and me and my dad used to have season tickets on the old Riverside in the days of Bobby Saxton and Howard Kendall, so I grew up watching players like Noel Brotherston, Jim Branagan and Glenn Keeley.

"But my hero was Simon Garner and I've still got one of his shirts at home now."

Ainsworth was a pupil at St Augustine's RC High School in Billington when he was first spotted by Rovers scout David Hall, who invited him for a trial.

The teenager then played five times for Rovers' A and B sides, scoring two hat-tricks, which led to the club offering him a two-year apprenticeship.

"It was unbelievable," recalls the Rangers midfielder. "Suddenly, I was training with some of my childhood heroes."

Ainsworth seemed to do well during his apprenticeship and he played for the reserves on several occasions, leading many to think he would be offered a professional contract.

But then on May 10, 1991, the date of Ainsworth's 18th birthday, his world caved in and those dreams were left in tatters.

"Don Mackay called us in. There was seven of us," recalls Ainsworth.

"Three of the lads knew they were going to get offered professional terms, three of them didn't.

"I was the one in the middle, it could have gone either way, and I later found out that Don actually said to the lad who went in after me that he wondered if he'd made a mistake in letting me go.

"I was gutted and I went home crying, which wasn't the best way to spend your 18th birthday."

Players of lesser character would have disappeared without trace after being dealt such a crushing blow, but not Ainsworth, who, thanks to the love and support of his family, managed to resurface down the road at Preston North End, for whom he made a handful of appearances before getting released in 1992.

Cambridge United was his next port of call, where he linked up with John Beck for the first time, and he later followed the maverick United manager back to Preston (he had four separate spells at Deepdale in total!), and then Lincoln, before John Rudge signed him for Port Vale in a £500,000 deal in 1997.

A successful year in the Potteries earned him a lucrative £2 million move to Wimbledon, who were a Premiership club at the time under the shrewd leadership of Joe Kinnear.

After scrapping his way through the lower divisions, Ainsworth had finally made it to the top only for a succession of injuries to then rob him of the best years of his career.

At one point, he spent a total of 20 months on the sidelines as he underwent five separate operations to cure a long-standing groin problem, so when he finally left Wimbledon in March 2003, he had made just 27 starts for the Dons in almost five years.

Determined to get his career back on track, Ainsworth moved to Cardiff and his brief spell at Ninian Park co-incided with the Bluebirds gaining promotion to The Championship.

It was then that QPR came calling and the well-travelled midfielder was soon celebrating promotion again 12 months later with the Londoners, who now have Rovers in their sights.

So it's been a long route back but, after 14 years of blood, sweat and the occasional tear, Ainsworth is finally looking forward to playing his first ever competitive first team game on the hallowed turf of his beloved Ewood.

It will be a proud moment for his family, too - his parents, Bill and Chris, and younger brother Liam have been by his side throughout his career - and for 90 minutes tomorrow they may just have to put their love of Blackburn Rovers to one side.

"I've never really had the chance to come back to Blackburn and say I told you so' - not that I would do anyway," said Ainsworth, whose father, Bill, also acts as his son's agent.

"To be honest, it's been more about proving to myself and my dad that I was good enough to make it.

"I don't know who's more excited about tomorrow, me or my family.

"I've played something like 420 games in my career and my mum and dad have probably been to 370 of them, but they've never had such a short distance to travel to watch me than they will have this weekend.

"It's that close (they live Pleasington), they may even walk to this one just to prove a point!"

And what are the chances of Rangers pulling off a famous upset against a Blackburn side that has just won four on the bounce?

"I think we can get a result," Ainsworth added.

"Rovers will obviously start as the favourites, but we are capable of beating anyone on our day."