Tom Ince relishing chance to silence boo-boys as Huddersfield seek to capitalise on West Ham's unrest
The Terriers winger has been the target of abuse following his father's acrimonious exit from Upton Park in 1989
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Huddersfield winger Tom Ince is relishing the chance to silence the West Ham boo-boys on Monday night when the two sides clash at the London Stadium.
Ince, 25, has grown used to the abuse he receives from a section of West Ham fans following his father Paul's acrimonious transfer from the London club to Manchester United in 1989.
Hammers fans have never forgiven Ince Sr for being pictured in a United shirt before the deal to take him to Old Trafford had been completed and his son expects to be targeted again.
Asked if he was prepared for further abuse from the stands on Monday night, Ince said: "Yeah, I suppose you could say that. I'm not a popular name round there but it's part of football, it's one of those things. That's why I'm glad it's at the London Stadium. There's a bit more space between the players and fans."
Ince, signed from Derby in July for an undisclosed fee reported to be slightly more than the £11m Huddersfield paid Montpellier for striker Steve Mounie, attributed some blame for the abuse to his dad. “I do keep telling him that," said the former England Under-21 international. "West Ham and Leeds, I keep getting the same stick and it's not even my fault, it's your fault.”
But Ince Jr was philosophical, too, adding “it's one of those things. You have to take it on the chin. I always think that if they're booing you then you must be doing something right. Hopefully, if selected, if I score a goal at West Ham it will be a very nice moment for me. I'm looking forward to it. It's a great stadium, the fans are absolutely fantastic and it will be a great game to be involved in."
David Wagner's Terriers are aiming to extend their unbeaten start to life in the Premier League against the Hammers, who have yet to register their first point.
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is under increasing pressure, meanwhile, with Hammers fans having planned a protest against the club's owners inside the stadium.
"We have to make sure we capitalise on that and keep the crowd quiet," Ince said. "But they've got some big players and it's a really big game for them. We'll go there with a lot of confidence. We're undefeated so far. We've got our plan, we've got our ideas to break them down and win the game.
“It's one that every player should be looking forward to. West Ham is one of the big names in the Premier League outside the top six. It's a great opportunity for us to go there and showcase what we're about and what the club's about.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments