When FC Cincinnati take their place in the MLS next season, there will be no fireworks, fanfare or fuss - just good old fashioned football pride and passion.

The Ohio club join America’s elite for the 2018/19 campaign and former Blackburn Rovers trainee, Dan McNally, has made sure a touch of East Lancashire will be in the Midwest.

The 40-year-old from Darwen is vice president of a club that was only formed three years ago. But despite calling the States home for more than two decades, McNally has never forgotten his roots.

“When I first got involved, I was quite insistent on no gimmicks or fireworks,” said the former Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School pupil. “Football is about passion, it comes from the heart. It is all about emotion not fancy names.

“I’m a Darwen lad and a Rovers supporter and that was something I wanted to get across and everyone has bought in to that, I think we are unique that way.”

FC Cincinnati’s rise from a pipe dream to an MLS club has been something of a football fairytale - although McNally admits it is something that could only happen in America - but he is proud he has played his part.

He had already made a name for himself as a talented university and college coach when he got the call from FC Cincinnati general manager, Jeff Berding.

“The club basically started with nothing but Jeff sold it to me,” said McNally who became the club’s first employee in May 2015 as director of operations before rising to vice president of operations, a post he holds today.

“At the start there was basically three of us, myself Jeff and Jeff Smith, sat at a table in a coffee shop planning the future. We didn’t even have an office.

“It’s incredible to think that was three years ago and the club went from nothing to becoming an MLS team.”

McNally said the city bought in to the new team from the word go - so much so that it will move in to a new $250million stadium in the next few years.

“It has just exploded,” he said. “Everyone bought in to it. Our first game we had a crowd of more than 14,000 and we haven’t dropped beneath 20,000 ever since.

“We recently sold our one millionth ticket, we’ve passed the $2m mark for merchandise sales.

“It’s been amazing.”

While McNally is now living the American dream, he will never forget the day he was shown the door by his beloved Rovers - still the worst moment of his football career. He had been at the club’s Centre of Excellence for three years with David Dunn and James Beattie when he was told he was no longer wanted - the same day he had captained Rovers Under 15s.

“When I was released by Rovers I was heartbroken,” said McNally who also captained a Blackburn and Darwen town team that included Beattie. “They were my team, they still are my team so when I was released I thought it was all over for me.

“I was devastated. It was, and still is, the worst moment of my football career.”

But as one door closed another unexpectedly opened.

McNally was trying to rebuild his fledgling career at Bury as an apprentice under then manager Stan Ternent when, out of the blue, he got the opportunity to play and study at Embry Riddle University in Florida.

“We had just played Everton Under 18s and after the game the Embry coach, whose named was Dave Gregson and happened to come from Accrington, offered me a four year scholarship,” he said. “It was completely out of the blue but I thought it was too good an opportunity to give up and I decided to give it a go.”

McNally says it was the best decision of his life.

He moved to Daytona where he studied Communications and played for Embry Riddle University - twice helping them win the Florida Sun Conference

After his studies, McNally played for Orlando Nighthawks - who were in US Division Three - and then Palm Beach Pumas before becoming assistant coach for Nova South Eastern University in Fort Lauderdale between 2001 and 2004.

McNally then upped sticks, travelled more than 2,500 miles to take up the post of head coach at Montana State University, a post he held for six years and where still holds the record for most wins (71) as a coach.

He was on the move again, this time to the University of Cincinnati as assistant coach. With his stock rising the call from Berding came that was to change his life.

“It has been an enormous achievement and we have made a huge impact in US Soccer,” said McNally who is married to Jenny and has two sons, Liam, seven, and Kellan, four.

“This season we will average 25,000 fans at our home games. It has been an incredible journey. The speed of our growth has been unique in US Soccer history.”

He added: “When I first joined the club I was basically having to to learn on the job.

“Being vice chairman of operations is a lot different to being a coach. Being a coach is all about the here and now, just focusing on the team.

“I have to look at the bigger picture, the team, the club, the future. You have to make big decisions, there is a lot of responsibility but I love it.”

McNally still fondly remembers the days of following Rovers home and away as a teenager with a young Beattie, his school friend and town team teammate.

“I was a season ticket holder, I lived basically 10 minutes away from Ewood on Sunnyhurst Lane,” he said. “Me and James were big mates, we used to travel away watching Rovers. I remember going to Southampton with him, who would have thought he would have ended up playing for them.”

McNally would love to see Rovers play away once again - but this time in Cincinnati.

“Playing Rovers in a pre-season game over here would be fantastic,” he said. “We played Crystal Palace in 2016, Valencia last season and this year we have Espanyol.

“So to get Rovers out here would be superb.”

And should that ever happen, then McNally could be forgiven for making a bit of fuss about it.