LUKE Moore is aiming to be the 'Villain of the piece' when he makes an emotional return to his boyhood team tomorrow Saturday (ko 12.45pm).

Moore understandably has a lot of affection for the club where he spent more than ten years after progressing through their youth ranks.

But he claims his loyalties now squarely lie four miles down the road at The Hawthorns.

And the 22-year-old will be busting a gut to notch at his old stomping ground in front of the live TV cameras and help propel Albion out of the bottom three.

"Any ex-player looks forward to the first time they go back to their old club and I'm no different," said Moore.

"I fully intend to enjoy the occasion but we have been on a good run and we are going there to continue that.

"Everyone knows I have been deep-rooted in Villa but I am at West Brom now and that is the most important thing.

"I always had a good relationship with the Villa fans but I'll be going there trying to score against their team."

Moore became a fully fledged Baggie when he completed a £3million move in May, having originally joined Albion on loan three months earlier.

He has had to be patient for a first-team chance but is currently enjoying his longest run in the team.

Moore has started four of the last five games, a sequence which yielded his first senior goal for the club, the vital opener against Manchester City.

"I feel settled here now," he said.

"It was my decision to come here.

"You have to get used to new things and it did take me a while to feel comfortable.

"But I feel comfortable now and hopefully that will be reflected on the pitch.

"Every single player who doesn't play is low and I am definitely no different.

"I don't like sitting on the bench.

"But you have a lot of lows and highs in this game.

"Hopefully, it is turning around for me now.

"I knew I could make a positive impact on the side and that's hopefully what I am proving.

"I am a lot happier now I am playing.

"I will work hard for the team and my team-mates.

"As long as we stay up, that's the main thing."

Moore claims it was his hunger for regular first-team football which drove him to swap the claret-and-blue shirt for the blue-and-white-striped jersey.

"You get players that settle for the bench," said the ex-England Under-21 international.

"I always felt involved at Villa because I knew when Martin O'Neill looked at his bench I was the first one he would call out.

"But you have to ask yourself if you want more.

"There are players who just sit on the bench and might do that for the rest of their career.

"But I asked myself if I wanted more - and that was basically the reason I moved here."

Moore doesn't know what his reaction will be if he manages to score against his former club - but he hopes to find out!

"I wouldn't try to rub it in anyone's face, that's for sure," he said.

"But I want to go there and win.

"It's as simple as that.

"Every time a player crosses that white line they want to win.

"I'm no different - and it'll be no different tomorrow.

"Will I celebrate? I would like to find out!

"It's a big game and the local people know what it's all about.

"I'm also local so I know what it's all about.

"Both sides want to win and I am now playing for West Brom.

"We are in a fight, just the same way Villa are at the other end of the table.

"We are fighting for our lives and we're going to go there and try to be positive and get a result."

Albion have won two of their last three top-flight games to move within two points of safety, having been some seven points adrift just three weeks ago.

Tony Mowbray's men will be looking to further boost their survival hopes by arresting a six-game losing streak on the road since recording their only away win of the term at Middlesbrough.

"I believe we have given ourselves a chance," added Moore.

"We have been a bit more positive and that has been reflected in our play.

"We are hoping to build a good home record in the second half of the season.

"The most important thing is that we're back in the mix.

"We are always going to play decent football and we have carried on doing that.

"But you could say we have been a bit more ruthless and that's what was needed.