TONY GALE will be supporting the Hammers all the way at the weekend - against the side for whom he won a Premiership medal in 1995.

Gale, now doing media work on Sky Sports, had been released by West Ham and was training with Barnet when the move to Blackburn on a free transfer came out of the blue.

Recalling his subsequent league triumph, he said: "I don't even know where the medal is - you never get it out to look at it in case you lose it!

"It is in the memory bank and the surprising thing is there is not one player from the Premiership winning squad that is now at Blackburn.

"I have got to be honest, I was struggling for a club when I went there. I had a few offers from abroad and in the lower leagues but I didn't really want to jump in, and I was proven right.

"Blackburn came in at the last moment a couple of weeks before the season began, and I was straight into a friendly against Celtic at Hampden and the Charity Shield against Manchester United.

"My last game for them was against West Ham which Blackburn won 4-2, and I got a nice reception from the West Ham travelling fans, who are amongst the best in the Premiership."

But he admits to being upset that the Hammers let him go, and adds: "It was the end of my world; it is the kind of club you can never see yourself leaving until they tell you that they don't want you any more.

"It did hurt, and it did spur me on to play well when I was at Blackburn.

"It wasn't a case of 'up yours' to West Ham when I won the medal, it was a case of feeling really pleased for my parents and everyone around me."