DAVID Nugent has revealed how the booing from Blues fans spurred him on to score the winner for Leicester City at Portman Road yesterday.

Town’s public enemy number one continued his remarkable scoring run against Ipswich with his ninth goal in 10 games in the Foxes’ 2-1 win.

The returning Jason Scotland had opened the scoring in the 43rd minute but Ben Marshall equalised before the break and the hosts never got going after the interval.

And it was Nugent, who has scored every time he has played at Portman Road, who again silenced the boo boys with a 57th minute winner.

But the man Town fans love to hate revealed how those jeers could have become cheers had it not been for the intervention of a former England boss.

Nugent explained: “I was aware of Ipswich’s interest last summer and I was very interested. I was a free agent after leaving Portsmouth but then I got a call from Sven Goran-Eriksson and there was only one place I was going to go.”

Blues boss Paul Jewell said he feared the worst from his fellow Scouser after Nugent was given a heated reception from the first whistle yesterday.

Jewell said: “You always fear when the crowd boo because players like that just thrive on it – it always felt like he was going to score.”

When asked if he had a message for Town fans, Nugent joked: “I’m sorry.

“I have scored every time I play at Portman Road – including for England Under-21s. It’s nine in 10 and I love coming here. I always get booed but I always wind them up when I score – it is just a bit of banter.

“It happens all the time but it does egg me on. At least I am guaranteed to score one a season.”

But despite his reputation at Portman Road, Nugent believes good times are just around the corner at the club he loves to play against.

He explained: “They have a top manager in Paul Jewell and they have the players to hopefully push on towards the Premier League next season.”