The dark clouds have been lifted, memories remained and six-and-a-half years after leaving, Morten Gamst Pedersen was back at the Rovers he so fondly remembered.

This wasn’t the same club that had reduced him to tears and forced to take the decision that time was right to leave after nine successful years.

Pedersen’s close affiliation with Rovers has long continued even after leaving in 2013, he follows the club closely and was afforded a hero’s welcome when the subject of a Q&A evening at Ewood earlier this month.

Some fans even contemplated the possibility of the Norwegian, now 38 and without a club, of offering him a short-term deal. In the end, what he got was a rousing reception as he paraded in front of the Blackburn End for one more time, revealing a Rovers shirt with ‘Pedersen 12’ on the back.

There were incredibly highs, a showreel of stunning goals, and successes across his 350 appearances for the club having arrived from Tromso in August 2004, just days before the departure of Graeme Souness.

He played under four permanent managers, at Wembley, and become a household Premier League name. But even now, his departure still wrangles.

There was the tumultuous period of uncertainly, ‘lightning in blue skies’ as he described, following the takeover of owners Venky’s in November 2010.

Sam Allardyce left soon after, and for Pedersen, his loyalty to the club he loved was severely tested, not least after being branded a pensioner by then global advisor Shebby Singh in 2012.

What followed was a show of solidarity and support for Pedersen, who came up with one of the most memorable celebrations in recent times after scoring against Leicester just weeks later.

He’s had time to reflect on that since, and the club’s ups and downs since, and admits: “It was really tough to leave, I felt some tears. I was really sad when I took that step that I had to leave.

“I didn’t want to leave, at all. I was thinking ‘why, why, why?’ but maybe looking back it was the right thing to do.

“There was a little bit of a dark cloud hanging over the club, there was a guy who was saying a lot of things about players in the club and that didn’t help.

“He called me a pensioner, loads of unnecessary things that killed the vibe of the club.

“It’s sad that it happened because we were in such a good place when it happened. We were eighth or ninth in the league and then he got sacked.

“It was lightning from blue skies. There are things that shouldn’t have happened, some people that have been tricking other people, the owners, to get things in their own hands.

“But coming back, it was nice to come back to that nice happy place again, the vibe is a good one, no dark clouds anymore.

“Maybe the best thing was to go down to League One, as hard as it is to say, the clear things out.

“Blackburn is a Premier League. Whenever I speak to people they see Blackburn as a Premier League club. From the bottom of my heart I hope they will as soon as possible, the next two years would be amazing.

“The curve is pointing upwards now and it’s a good place to be. Nothing will be better than to see Blackburn back in the real table.”

Pedersen was keen to not let the incident back in 2012 overshadow his visit to the club, which coincided with him being a special guest at the recent derby game with Preston North End.

But he continued: “It was not right to be called it, I don’t know why. Was it to hurt me or get rid of me, I don’t know what the intention was?

“I was always the fittest, and I am as far away from a pensioner as you can get.

“That annoyed, but the good thing was that the whole group stood together when those things were said, not just against me, but everyone. We tried to work hard and were so close to getting back up at the first attempt.

“But it’s hard when things are fighting against you.”

Tony Mowbray was quick to play down the potential of a fairytale return for Pedersen, who left Tromso at the end of his contract in December, which saw him train largely with the physio department, as well as the Under-23s and Under-18s where he was on hand to offer plenty of advice.

Pedersen credits Mowbray with creating a feel-good factor back at the club, one similar to the one they enjoyed for large parts of his time in East Lancashire.

The timing of his arrival came when Rovers benefited from the experience of Brad Friedel, Garry Flitcroft, Paul Dickov, among others.

For that reason, Pedersen felt it was ‘the perfect time to come’, and says learning from such ‘great role models’ played a key role in them having the success they had under Mark Hughes.

But there is one player who the mere mention of him name brings light to Pedersen’s eyes in the same way it does supporters: Tugay.

“For me he was the best player I ever played with and I played my best football with him. It was a dream to play on the wing with me,” Pedersen explained.

“You just needed to start running and you knew the ball was coming.

“You could have put him in any team in the world and he would have been as good as anyone. I’m really happy he played for us because he was a really good player.

“He scored some wonder goals as well and as well as a player he was a warm person, he had the odd cigarette, but that was Tugay and everyone accepted that.

“The way he took you under his wing and talk to you, help you, I still speak to him, he’s a friend for life.

“I think that’s why we succeeded because we had some great role models to learn from and we continued those things when they left.

“You shouldn’t underestimate learning from some older players.”

But what now for Pedersen, who harbours ambitions of staying in the game until he’s at least 40?

His business interest outside the game include property and fish, but it’s football which still brings him the biggest drive.

“Life is too short to be grumpy, I’m in a happy place,” he said.

“I’ve been in Turkey, Rosenberg and Tromso and now I’m a free transfer, doing business outside.

“We are very privileged to play football, to have this as your job, you have to play as long as you can because you never know when it’s going to stop.

“I said that I was going to play until I’m at least 40, so at least two more years to play, but I want to play as long as my body will let me and I have something to give.

“The drive is the same, I want to play football. I played because I loved the game, that’s the main thing and I look forward to play football for more years.”

Pedersen’s goals for Rovers, so often spectacular, included a net-busting strike on the opening day of the 2005/06 season against Fulham at Ewood.

He doesn’t need a second reminder of points within his Rovers career, so vivid are they in his memory, but his favourite goal is certainly to do with the occasion, rather than the quality of the strike.

It came back in February 2005, an FA Cup replay against Burnley at Ewood, in front of the travelling support.

It proved to be the winner, and when asked for his standout goal, his replay was instant.

“The Burnley goal, local derby, it took a while to understood how important it was. I knew at the time because I’ve never had so many coins thrown at me when I celebrated in front of the away fans.

“When you look back, that’s probably the most memorable because of the meaning.

“The Fulham volley, scoring two at Old Trafford when you haven’t won there in so many years, but the Burnley goal is the one that will be remembered the longest.”

Pedersen’s week-long stay at the club saw him spend a couple of sessions with the Academy sides.

That included training alongside them, but also being on hand to offer advice, messages of support, with the youngsters easy to pick the brains of a player they would likely have seen on Match Of The Day growing up.

“I spoke with the Under-18s and some of the Under-23s,” he added.

“I think it’s nice when one of the young players came up and asked me about crossing, I like that when they’re interested in your career.

“What I said isn’t right, but listening to different things, maybe one thing will be good for him.

“I can see myself in some of them, because I was curious about things.

“I looked at different players, how they worked. I wanted to be better, I wanted to improve. Still now, I want to improve.”

And Pedersen doesn’t want them to give up on their dreams, whatever the future holds, believing if it can happen for a young man in Norway who had the will and desire to succeed, it can happy to anyone.

“I think it showed that it doesn’t matter where you’re from. I’m from as far north as you can get, reindeer land, but you can play Premier League,” he added.

“So why can’t you come from Blackburn, or Clitheroe, Accrington or Whalley and play Premier League.

“But you have to be willing to be able sacrifice, say no to that girl, or party.

“I’ve done those things but I don’t regret anything. To play for the national team, in the Premier League, that was my dream and I followed it all the way.

“I had some impossible dreams, but it’s important to have those, and you have to be willing.

“Some people have things given to them on a plate but you have to be willing to work as well.”