BRETT Emerton believes Blackburn Rovers can emulate the achievements of his former club Feyenoord and go all the way in the UEFA Cup this season.

The Australian international was part of the Feyenoord side that won the competition in 2002 after they defeated Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling final.

Now the 27-year-old is backing Rovers to do the same - and they can take another step on the road to that dream by avoiding defeat here in Rotterdam tonight.

A draw at Feyenoord's intimidating De Kuip' stadium would be enough to guarantee Mark Hughes' side a top three spot in group E, and qualification for the knockout stages.

And Emerton insists Rovers have nothing to fear' against the Dutch, even though Erwin Koeman's team go into the match on the back of an impressive unbeaten run.

Comparing the current Blackburn team to the Feyenoord one that won the competition four years ago, Emerton said: "We had a strong team when we won it, but the Blackburn side I play in now is every bit as strong and I can't see any reason why we can't go on a good run and do very well in the UEFA Cup this season."

Emerton spent a total of three years at Feyenoord prior to joining Rovers in 2003 so he's relishing facing his former employers, although the team now is virtually unrecognisable from the one that won the competition during his time there.

"I'm really looking forward to going back. I had some great years there, it's a great stadium, they've got good supporters, and I think it's going to be a great occasion, not just for us as players but for our fans as well.

"The majority of the players that I played with have moved on. The only one remaining is Pierre van Hoojdonk and it will be good to catch up with him again.

"He was an important part of our team when I played there, and he's one of the players we need to keep a close eye on tonight.

"He's a renowned goalscorer and a great free kick taker, so we can't afford to concede too many free kicks around the edge of our box because I've seen him score so many from there in the past.

"He's obviously a little bit older these days so hopefully he's not quite as good as he used to be."

Although Feyenoord might be flying in the Dutch League - their 3-2 win against AZ Alkmaar at the weekend was their fifth on the bounce domestically - they have not won any of their last eight games in Europe, a statistic which will encourage Hughes and his squad.

Nevertheless, the Dutch club's stadium - nicknamed De Kuip' (which means the tub') - can still be an intimidating venue, mainly because Feyenoord fans have a history of violence.

"It can be an intimidating place to play," added Emerton, who clocked up 111 appearances for the Dutch club during his spell there.

"Their fans are very passionate about their club and they can make it quite hostile, but as long as our fans behave themselves then I don't think there'll be any problems."