While West Ham struggled near the bottom of the table last season, the England Under-21 star was the subject of boos from many of the club's fans and even received racist hate mail.

And while he understands why they were angry after he was labelled a 'bad apple', he believes neither Hammers boss Alan Curbishley nor his team-mates did enough to protect him.

Talking about the upcoming clash at Upton Park, he told the Mail on Sunday: "I don't think I'll get a good reception.

"At the end of the day, they don't care how I feel and I'm an enemy. I don't blame them - if I was a football fan, I'd have the same way of thinking."

He added: "There are situations when players are getting a bit of a hard time from fans, you see managers instantly coming to squash that or senior pros coming to say, 'Lay off him - he's doing his best', and I just don't feel anyone came to support me at West Ham.

"You look at the best managers in the league and the world and they know how to look after their players and get the best out of their players."

His career is now firmly back on track at Villa Park, however, and victory over West Ham could see his new side claim a UEFA Cup spot if Everton slip up at home to Newcastle.

"It would be very disappointing to miss out on European football because that was the goal we set ourselves.

"I'm happy with how my season has gone. You're judged on where you finish in the league. Last year, we were 16th; this year, we're pushing for Europe.

"This is only Martin O'Neill's second year and we have a chance of finishing fifth.

"Obviously, I didn't enjoy the bad period at West Ham, but it was a priceless experience.

"Going through that at such a young age has made me a stronger and more determined person.

"I've moved on in my life. The new goal is to play European football."