West Ham United player thanks Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe – for giving him a start in football

The West Ham United striker was signed by Howe at Bournemouth in 2009 – and the 30-year-old also played for him at Burnley.

And Ings has spoken about Howe’s influence on his career ahead of tonight’s game at the London Stadium.

“Eddie Howe gave me my first opportunity as a player, and I’ll always be grateful to him for that,” said the former England international.

"Eddie’s a very talented manager, and he’s an even better person, to be honest. It’s great to see him doing so well up at Newcastle now.

"I remember, at the time, that Bournemouth were going through a challenging period in terms of finances.

"It was a tricky situation for everyone, but for him to have faith in me, give me a contract and the opportunity to play ... I’ll always be sincerely grateful for that.

"As a man, he was fantastic with me. I went on loan (to Dorchester Town) when I first signed that contract, and I think that was probably the best thing that could have happened to me, because it toughened me up as a player, and got me used to men’s football.

"It was a great decision. we’ve gone on different journeys, and we had a brief spell at Burnley together too, but my personal journey has been fantastic, and I have to say thanks to him for starting that off.”