Luis Boa Morte has spoken about his happiness at the reception given to him by the supporters after his strong showing at the end of the 2008/09 season.
The Portugal forward regularly heard his name sung as he played a pivotal role in the latter half of the campaign. He started the last nine matches and earned an assist for Carlton Cole's goal as the club finished the campaign with a 2-1 defeat of Middlesbrough. "Of course it is a good buzz to hear your name, it makes you feel happy," he told whufc.com. "I just hope things keep going like this."
The 31-year-old acknowledged that he has not always enjoyed unanimous support from the Hammers faithful but refused to dwell on the past. "It has been a difficult marriage with the supporters but things have been working out and that is the most important thing. Now it is up to the club to do what they want to do with me. I have got a year left and we will see where this will take us."
Before all of that is a recall to the Portugal squad for an international get-together in Lisbon this week, with coach Carlos Queiroz having run the rule over Boa Morte when he attended the Middlesbrough match. However, the No13 was not too fazed by knowing who was in the stands.
"The national-team manager was at the last game but it didn't influence me," he said. "I just try to play the same whoever is watching and give my all. I always do that because West Ham are the ones that look after me all season so I just have to make sure I deliver for them.
"I just need to keep going, working hard and do what I have to do and hopefully I will get the national-team reward but the first thing is to get my reward at the end of the week by being picked by the gaffer and playing for the fans."
Boa Morte earned the last of his 26 full international caps in Portugal's 2-1 FIFA 2006 World Cup Group D victory over Mexico in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on 21 June 2006. Quieroz's squad travel to Tirana to face Albania on Saturday 6 June before flying to Tallinn to take on Estonia in a friendly international on Wednesday 10 June.