While many of West Ham United's players will never have experienced playing at Hillsborough before, Joey O'Brien knows exactly what it feels like to run out at the home of Sheffield Wednesday.

The Hammers No17 has enjoyed two memorable loan spells with the Owls - making his Football League debut for the club in December 2004 and his long-awaited comeback from a long-term knee injury in March this year.

O'Brien told West Ham TV he is looking forward to returning to a club that has played such a large part in his career.

"It's a special place for me," he confirmed. "I went back there last season after I'd been out for so long and before that I went there as a kid and made my Football League debut and it was my first real taste of senior football."

Then just 18, the Republic of Ireland international scored on his debut in a 4-2 League One defeat by Hull City in front of 28,701 fans on 8 December 2004 - an occasion he will never forget.

More than six years later, O'Brien returned to the club for a second loan spell in March 2011, being reunited with his old Bolton Wanderers manager Gary Megson. There, the 25-year-old made his first appearances since being ruled out with a serious knee injury in October 2008.

"I definitely remember it. I had only just gone there and trained once or twice with the team and at the time it was quite a big match because Hull were flying and Sheffield Wednesday were doing well too. There were nearly 30,000 at Hillsborough and I obviously came in and scored, so I'll never forget it.

"Last season, at the time nobody thought I could play again but the manager who I obviously knew from Bolton was great and told me I could come down and get a couple of games under my belt and show people I could still play.

"I had a feeling from the club from the first spell so I wanted to go down there."

Joey O'Brien in action for Sheffield Wednesday in March 2011

Knowing the club so well, O'Brien is aware that West Ham will face a difficult task against a Wednesday side who have won nine and drawn two of their eleven home matches this term.

"To be fair, the manager has brought in a lot of players in the summer, so I only know four or five of the players who usually start. He has done a great job because when I went down there they were struggling but he's turned it around now. They are playing well and winning at home.

"It's a proper stadium and a proper club. We'll have a great support as we always do and so will they, so it will be a great game and the atmosphere will be good and hopefully we can go through to the next round."

O'Brien said the Hammers would travel to Sheffield full of confidence following their New Year's Day victory over Coventry - a first npower Championship success in three matches.

"It was a massive game, as was the win over Barnsley. Hopefully we can kick on this month and win on Sunday. It's a confidence thing and if we can keep winning games we'll believe we can win every game.

"It was a big win on Monday with Southampton and Middlesbrough losing. We made up ground and that's what matters."