Ince urges Hammers fans to bury the hatchet

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The Hammers are preparing to lay on extra security for tomorrow's match with Blackburn at Upton Park.

Former West Ham midfielder Ince, who has been running a gauntlet of hate for 19 years since he posed in a Manchester United shirt before his £1million move had gone through, will return to the club for the first time as a manager with Rovers.

He is keen to draw a line under the incident, for which he says he was blameless, but security at Upton Park will be tight for his return - and he has been advised to keep a low profile.

Ince, 40, said: "I've been back there numerous times with the teams that I've played for and you always get a bit of stick.

"But it isn't about West Ham and Paul Ince and what reaction I get; it's about my players going out there and putting in a performance and coming away with some points.

"Sometimes you say fans never forget but, at the end of the day, I'm a West Ham boy, they have a place in my heart, and always will do.

"I started there as a player and it will be a proud moment to go back there as a manager.

"I was at the club from the age of nine so, of course, I want them to do well - but not this Saturday."

Meanwhile, Ince's return could deflect some of the pressure on boss Alan Curbishley, but he knows another defeat could put his job in jeopardy with reports that Croatia coach Slavan Bilic, another ex-Hammer, is one of the names in the frame to replace him.