Mark Noble has admitted that West Ham has become a happier place since the departure of Dimitri Payet in his first interview on the Frenchman’s transfer.
Payet completed a £25m move to former club Marseille just 10 days ago after refusing to play for Slaven Bilic’s Hammers side.
Since Payet’s refusal to play and subsequent departure West Ham’s form has improved massively with 9 points taken from their last 4 Premier League games, but Nobes admitted to Sky Sports news HQ that the squad said goodbye with a heavy heart.
“Obviously we were gutted. The manager, as you saw from his press conference, was obviously gutted as well.
“He had a massive impact on our team because he was a big player in the changing room. The players loved him and would do anything for him.
“It got a bit disjointed and it was a tough time for all of us. But it has become a happy place again. I think it was on the manager’s chest and mind.
“He didn’t want to get rid of Dimi, but he wanted to get rid of the situation. Obviously we had to deal with all of that and the best way to do that was by winning games, that’s what we’ve done.”
Payet trained with West Ham’s U23s in the days leading up to his departure and was pictured looking overweight and unfit.
Reports emerged that the moderator of the West Ham squad’s Whatsapp group chat – Pedro Obiang – may have removed Payet from the group out of spite, which Noble denied.
“No, that is rubbish it’s totally rubbish. I think he was only removed when he had actually signed for Marseille.
“That was once it was done and his medical was done because obviously you don’t want hundreds of messages going to him when we are here.”
