BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder Tom Cairney is out to create more happy Elland Road memories today against the club who let him go as a boy.

Rovers’ reigning player of the year was released by Leeds for being too small at 16 after nine years on their books.

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But Cairney reminded Leeds what they were missing with an outstanding display in last season’s corresponding clash between the Roses rivals.

Gary Bowyer’s side won that match to kick off 2014 in style and they cross the Pennines this afternoon looking to do the double over Leeds after winning this season’s reverse encounter at Ewood Park.

Cairney’s recollections of that latter game are not as rosy after being sent-off for the second time in his Rovers career.

But that will not stop the 24-year-old from going all out to put another one over his former club.

“On a personal level this is a really big game for me,” said the 6ft Cairney, who was 5ft 1in at the time of his release from Leeds.

“I was there from when I was seven until I was 16 and I’ve still got family who live there.

“It’s always nice playing at a Premier League stadium and it’s a Premier League fan base and probably a Premier League club.

“I have good memories of my first time back there as a player. We should have been about 4-0 up at half-time and we should have had a penalty and they should have had a man sent-off.

“I did feel like I had a point to prove as it was the first time I had been back there in my career.

“It’s was probably one of the best performances I’ve been involved in but it’s going to be tough on Saturday.”

Rovers will go into today’s match on the back of back-to-back home defeats to Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break.

Three successive league wins going into that crucial double header had raised hopes Cairney and Co could make a late charge for the play-offs, just like they did last season.

But the former Scotland Under-21 international admits the loss to Brentford knocked the stuffing out of them going into the Brighton game.

“It was really tough, there is no denying it,” said the midfielder.

“We were winning games and playing well and we could well have won the Brentford game.

“But when we got beat it knocked us a bit and the Brighton game we just weren’t ourselves at all.

“So the break came at a good time for us and we’ll be fresh and hopefully looking forward to putting a performance on at Elland Road.”

Rovers follow this afternoon’s match with a big FA Cup quarter-final replay at home to Liverpool on Wednesday.

And Cairney, who impressed in the initial Anfield ties between the teams, added: “Hopefully we can get back to winning ways and beat Leeds and then go at Liverpool all guns blazing.”