Tottenham Hotspur-West Ham United Preview

Aug 21, 2009 - 4:59 PM JAMES PIERCY STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe is out to silence the West Ham boo-boys when he returns to Upton Park on Sunday by continuing his red hot start to the season.

Defoe has scored five goals for club and country, including a blistering hat-trick as Spurs thrashed Hull 5-1 on Wednesday.

The England star has never been forgiven by Hammers fans for walking out to join Tottenham when they relegated from the Premier League in 2004.

Defoe, whose mid-week treble was his first for five years, said: "Getting stick makes you want to do well.

"I loved my time at West Ham. I had a fantastic time there and am looking forward to going back.

"Hopefully we can win. It does make you play better when you get booed. It happened a lot to Cristiano Ronaldo and other players and they use that.

"I will just blank it out and get on with it. I feel really good at the moment. I am getting chances and taking them.

"It helps as a forward to get your goals early. It sets you on your way confidence-wise.

"There is no such thing as peaking too early. At the end of the day you have got to perform."

Defoe says he is thriving on the extra competition at White Hart Lane following Peter Crouch's nine million pounds switch from Portsmouth.

"I hope I am making it hard for the manager to drop me," he added.

"The competition is good for the club. You can see our depth from the fact Roman Pavlyuchenko did not come on against Hull."

Standing in Defoe's way will be West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green, looking to cement his claims for a place in England's 2010 World Cup squad.

Green won his fourth cap during England's 2-2 draw with Holland earlier this month in the absence of regular number one James.

He said: "It has been a fantastic few months for me and I am really enjoying it.

"You work hard and hope to get those rewards, with West Ham and now with England. It has been the icing on the cake.

"I just want to keep going and keep playing and help to take West Ham as far as I can."

The Hammers narrowly missed out on a place in the Europa League last season and Green wants to go one better this time around.

Green, who led Gianfranco Zola's side to a 2-0 win at Wolves on the opening day, said: "We want to improve on last season and build on from there.

"We have made a good start and want to go on from there. We have given ourselves a little platform."

Zola is likely to name the same side that triumphed at Molineux. Long-term absentees Dean Ashton, Valon Behrami and Luis Boa-Morte remain sidelined.

Tottenham are without goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes following a groin injury suffered in the victory at Hull so Carlo Cudicini comes into the team.