“I made a bit of a fool of myself right in the centre of the shop. People looked scared of me. They thought I was a lunatic,” Laws told BBC Radio Five Live.

The contrast between the League Two leaders and Chelsea’s assembly of superstars, all financed by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, could hardly be more stark, and Laws insisted he was relishing the tie at Stamford Bridge.

“It was like winning the lottery. This is what the FA Cup is all about. It’s one of those draws that fires your imagination,” he added.

“For a long, long time the draw hasn’t been fair to a lot of lower-league clubs – they just want their rewards. They know they’re not going to win the FA Cup but getting a plum tie in the third round is like a lottery win and it’s what they’re in there for.”

Laws, whose side reached the third round by beating League One side Wrexham, knows the only chance his side have of causing a huge upset is if Jose Mourinho’s side become complacent.

“We will go there and enjoy it. I experienced games like this when I was a player at Nottingham Forest – the one thing you fear is the element of cup history and the element of surprise,” Laws said.

“They might turn up a bit relaxed and all of a sudden they’re in a really tough situation. They don’t know anything about us, that’s the beauty of it.

“I have already decided my formation – one up front and 10 in defence.”

The Iron could pocket around £250,000 (€361,600) from the tie, money Laws insists would make a huge difference to his club.

“It’s the difference between us progressing even further and possibly buying new players,” he said.