First Sydney derby kicked off with European atmosphere

I was lucky to captain Sydney FC on that occasion at Parramatta Stadium, and even luckier to watch Alessandro Del Piero score the deciding goal from the penalty spot which handed us a 1-0 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers.

We all sprinted over to the FC supporters and celebrated like we'd won the league. This meant so much to everyone already, even though it was the first time we'd played our new rivals.

What hit me in the face the moment we walked out onto Parramatta Stadium that day was how much passion was already bubbling away amongst both sets of supporters.

We knew this game was a sellout and we knew the fans were very interested in the match, but right from the opening whistle it was on - in the stands and on the pitch.

Rivalries usually take decades and decades to develop, but this one felt like it was already a century old.

I've been fortunate enough to play at some of the most famous grounds in Europe. When I was at Feyenoord we used to play Ajax a few times a year, and that would draw 50,000 screaming fans each time, be it in Rotterdam or Amsterdam.

After playing in the Netherlands, I spent eight years at Blackburn in the English Premier League and went up against some of the world's best players.

I played at Arsenal's old ground Highbury against the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp in their prime. That was an intimate 40,000-seater stadium where it felt like the fans were on top of you, and the atmosphere was incredible.

I've also experienced the East Lancashire derby against Burnley. We drew them in the Cup one year and hadn't played them for so long because we were in different divisions in the league.

That produced its own hostile atmosphere.

The Sydney derby is right up there with those games, and I've long said it's the closest thing we get in Australia to the atmosphere of football in Europe.

It's the first game the boys look to when the fixture is released, because there is no other sporting event in Australia that can produce an atmosphere like it. You could be having the worst season of all time, but if you won the derby the fans would forgive you.

I'll be there on the weekend, wishing I was still playing. It's these kinds of games that make you itch from the stands, make you want to be out there competing again, trying to win the game for your team.

The beauty of this rivalry is that it will only become stronger as the years pass.