Former West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet has accepted that he will not be remembered fondly by Hammers fans after his acrimonious departure from the club in the January transfer window.
The Frenchman was very much a hero for many supporters but his behaviour prior to his exit from the club changed how he was seen by the majority of Hammers. He reportedly refused to play for manager Slaven Bilic before forcing through a £25million move to his former side Marseille.
At 29 years of age, Payet said he did not want to lose six months of his career regressing at a club he didn’t want to play for anymore, although he will still remember his time at the club positively. He told L’Equipe:
“The choice was quick. If I waited six months I would lose six months. At home against Hull, we won 1-0 and they hit the post four times. In the changing room everyone was happy, but the man of the match that day was the post. I thought that I would not have room for improvement.”
“On the contrary, I risked regressing. I needed another challenge. They [the fans] hated me as much as they’d loved me. I can’t blame them. They gave me a lot and I’ll never forget it.”
Since returning to Marseille, Payet has played eight times, scoring three goals. His side are sixth in Ligue One, twenty points off the top three and the Champions League places for next season.
