Retired Payet 'one of most gifted players' to play for West Ham
[BBC] [Getty Images] Dimitri Payet has announced his retirement and there will no doubt be West Ham fans across the globe queuing up to thank him for the magic he delivered during his one and a half seasons in claret and blue. The France international was signed by Slaven Bilic for little more than £10m in 2015 and announced himself to the Premier League by becoming one of the main men behind West Ham's hugely successful final season at Upton Park, finishing seventh and only four points off the top four. Over the years, West Ham fans have fallen madly in love with many players who show a mixture of mercurial flair, natural talent, unshakeable work ethic, passion for the shirt and the consistent ability to change a game.
Payet had that all in abundance from the start, which is why many fans now have him down as the best player they have seen play for the club. In his short spell in east London, Payet registered 15 goals and 22 assists in 60 appearances. That is a ratio of 1.
62 goal involvements per game for the Hammers, which is, quite frankly, a ridiculous record to boast. Six of his 15 goals were direct free-kicks, his most famous arguably being the one against Crystal Palace at Upton Park, which seemed to defy physics as it appeared to be hitting row Z before looping in o the top corner. It remains the most outrageous free-kick goal I have seen live.
And who can forget the one against Manchester United at Old Trafford from more than 30 yards, beating David de Gea as the ball crashed in off the post? It was that first season at the club which led to him being nominated for the Ballon d'Or - yes, a West Ham player was actually nominated as one of the best players in the world. That is how good he was.
His time at West Ham ended prematurely and controversially after he forced a move back to Marseille in January 2017, but he will always be remembered as one of the most gifted players to have represented the club. Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham