Lenny Pidgeley won’t be fazed in City’s goal after going toe-to-toe with the Premier League’s best on a daily basis.

The 26-year-old is going for a hat-trick of clean sheets for his new club in their FA Cup opener at League One high-fliers Colchester tomorrow.

But his confident start should come as no shock given the pedigree of the former Chelsea trainee.

Pidgeley trained every day at Stamford Bridge alongside Petr Cech – and faced shots from the likes of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

That back catalogue of world superstars provided an invaluable grounding and gave him the self-belief that has been clear in the successive shut-outs against Oxford and Bury.

“I learned so much from my time at Chelsea,” he said. “Working with the top players daily was a great experience. Petr Cech is one of the best keepers in the world and I was lucky enough to train with him and Carlo Cudicini day in, day out.

“Then you’d be doing shooting practice with Drogba and Lampard – the standard doesn’t get any higher than that. It’s something I look back on now and I’m really glad I did it.”

Jose Mourinho handed Pidgeley his Premier League debut at Newcastle in May 2006 in front of 52,000 fans.

His only other Chelsea appearance came as a late substitute against Charlton at Stamford Bridge when Cudicini got injured.

But Pidgeley got close-up experience of the big occasions – including Mourinho’s first trophy as Chelsea boss.

With Cudicini suspended, Pidgeley was named back-up keeper for the 2005 Carling Cup final win over Liverpool.

That launched Mourinho’s reign as the “Special One” with his famous dance along the touchline.

Pidgeley added: “I’d done a couple of years as an apprentice there before I went out on loan to Watford. As soon as I came back, I was given a first-team squad number and found myself on the bench.

“I had that taste for first-team football after playing for Watford but it was the next best thing. Although I wasn’t playing, I was still involved with those players and in squads for the Carling Cup final and Champions’ League games.

“I’ve played around 150 games but probably been involved in another 150 on the bench as a keeper.

“If I was an outfield player, I could have played 300 games by now, coming on for five or ten minutes to get an appearance. But obviously that doesn’t happen for a goalkeeper.”

Pidgeley left Stamford Bridge in 2006 for Millwall, where he played 65 games. He featured another 24 times last season with Carlisle before losing his place halfway through.

He said: “I played quite a bit but that was all prior to Christmas. I’ve definitely missed the buzz of playing regularly and I was itching to get back.

“So when the gaffer gave me the opportunity here, I jumped at it.

“It’s been quite fast and furious since I got here last week but I’ve enjoyed it.

“I was a little bit nervous on Saturday before my debut but that was more excitement than anything. I know the size of the club and fanbase and I want to do well.”