Bellamy keen on Rovers return

West Ham fans with bitter memories of such defeats against Oldham, Northampton and, more recently Chesterfield in this competition will be wary of the trip to the Memorial Stadium rugby stronghold but both Ashton and Wales' star Bellamy are relishing the occasion.

Ashton admits he can hardly wait now to kick off under Curbishley after nearly a year in the injury-wilderness recovering from the ankle he fractured in training with the England squad last August.

And Bellamy, who arrived at West Ham in a £7 million move this summer with a bad-boy reputation from his days at Newcastle, Blackburn and Liverpool, is anxious to make his mark in a new front-line partnership with a return to familiar surroundings.

Bellamy, 28, must recover from a groin strain to face Rovers, but revealed: "I would love to be involved, if I'm honest.

"Rovers are the first club I was ever with. I was in their kind of School of Excellence at the age of nine when my local club Cardiff didn't have much for youngsters and I had to cross the bridge.

"Their fans today won't know this but I was there for about two years - before Jamie Cureton and then me were both poached by Norwich."

That started Bellamy on a league career in which he has had more than a few brushes with authority and a tendency for itchy feet but he sees himself settling down at West Ham.

He said: "I've signed for five years and, touch wood, I will see out my career here.

"Maybe because of the surgery I had to have as a very young player that might not take me to 34 or 35 but those five years are going to be very important for me to cement my name here.

"There is big competition for places at West Ham, what with Deano coming back and there might be another forward coming in (before transfer deadline) but you need that because you know if you don't do well somebody will take your place.

"It is not rotation here it is a case if you are playing well, you are in. That is what everybody wants. You want to be fighting and looking over your shoulder.

"I don't care what people say about what happened at Liverpool and the other clubs. I'm here now and want to get my first goal.

"I wanted to come here because a knew a lot of people and West Ham ended last season very well after getting into the bad habit of getting used to losing.

"The fans really get behind you here if they see you are willing to work and battle and that suits me."

Bellamy was given huge applause when he came off 15 minutes from the end of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Wigan having had a "goal" disallowed and run himself into the ground at the expense of a "tweaked groin."

But the big cheer was still not as loud as the one for Ashton's arrival as an earlier substitute.

Boss Alan Curbishley admits: "People have criticised me for easing Deano back but he knows it is for his benefit. The ankle injury is over now, it is match-fitness that was the question.

"Now it is time to let him loose and let him show us what he can really do. You have to remember I've been here eight months and, until the last few games, hadn't seen him in a West Ham shirt."

Ashton said: "The backing I get from the fans at West Ham gives me a real buzz and I want to get out on the pitch and show how much I appreciate it.

"The boss has made sure I am patient but I've got ambitions which include the England squad again and getting back in for West Ham is tough enough. Now I'm really pushing to be let loose and make a start."