Daily WHUFC News - 9th March 2016

A message from the Vice-Chairman
WHUFC.com

Vice-Chairman Baroness Brady CBE celebrates International Women's Day with a
special message to West Ham United supporters

It is a fantastically exciting time to be writing to you as Vice-Chairman of
West Ham United Football Club. The team are marking our historic Farewell
Boleyn season by flying high in the Barclays Premier League and mounting a
serious challenge for the Emirates FA Cup, while work on our stunning new
home in Stratford continues to progress superbly with each day bringing yet
more excitement as it moves closer to becoming a truly world-class football
stadium. Today is International Women's Day and I am proud and honoured to
continue to champion the role of women in business and women in football. It
is incredible to think that it is 23 years since I arrived for work on my
first day at Birmingham City at the age of 23. My life as a female football
club Chief Executive, and now Vice-Chairman, has changed markedly since I
entered football in 1993 and, while there is still some way to go, the
issues I encountered on an almost daily basis two decades ago are mercifully
on the decline. I am proud to be one of three female CEOs in the top two
divisions of English football. I am even prouder of the number of women who
now hold senior management positions here at West Ham United. I have
recently championed and appointed Tara Warren to my Board, brought in
Felicity Croft as my Commercial Director, Michele Gull to lead our Human
Resources department and promoted Kerry Patterson as joint Head of Retail in
such a critical transitional time for the business. I have always been
committed to giving women an opportunity to play a leading role in football
- a business which had traditionally been male-dominated - and, as we
continue to grow and expand our Football Club into a truly worldwide brand,
I can only foresee more senior positions being taken by intelligent, driven
and able women in the future. To mark International Women's Day, I am
delighted that our own West Ham Ladies will be playing their first
competitive match at the Boleyn Ground this evening. We are expecting a
record-breaking crowd to attend the game against Tottenham Hotspur Ladies,
so please do come along and lend your support. Looking to the future, the
Club is in a far better position than it was when we arrived a little more
than six years ago.
The Joint-Chairmen have pulled the Club back from the brink of the financial
abyss, the inherited debt is falling and, with the team assured of its
Barclays Premier League position next season, we will continue to benefit
from increased broadcast revenue. We have already sold more Season Tickets
for the first season at our new home than there are seats in the Boleyn
Ground and the Board are currently doing everything we can to expand the
capacity of the new Stadium to 60,000 to cater for the unprecedented demand.
You may well have seen that a number of our first team players recently
bolted in the first claret seats and my New Stadium team are continuing to
work 24/7 to ensure it is a fitting home for West Ham United with many more
exciting announcements to follow soon. Before then, we have our final five
home league matches at the Boleyn Ground to play and they promise to be, in
Slaven Bilic's words, 'five cup finals'! Such is demand for seats that
Academy Membership is needed to be placed in a ballot for tickets for these
final three home games at the Boleyn Ground. I am not surprised, because the
appointment of Slaven, and the signings he and the Board have made, has
reinvigorated the whole Club - the 'West Ham way' is definitely back! We are
playing great football, winning lots of matches and our best players are
being rewarded with new contracts - we are no longer a selling club, that's
for sure. So, as today marks International Women's Day, and I reflect on my
23 years in football I can honestly say I am as excited as I have ever been
and I hope you all are too. Thank you all for your amazing and unrivalled
support.

Baroness Brady CBE
Vice-Chairman

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Noble - We're a little bit special
WHUFC.com

Reflecting on a phenomenal week which saw West Ham United score an
impressive maximum of nine points from their three league games, captain
Mark Noble described his sheer delight. The midfielder has been nothing
short of talismanic recently, leading his side to three hard-fought and
thoroughly deserved victories. Noble beamed: "I'm delighted, as you can
imagine! "We've had some unbelievable results recently, Spurs in midweek was
fantastic but in terms of team spirit the win at Goodison was absolutely
fantastic."
Now, with just nine league games left to play, the captain is refusing to
put a limit on where his Hammers could finish: "We still have thirty points
to play for, that's the way we have to look at it. We know we're a good team
and over the last eight or nine months we've proved that we're a little bit
special. "We've picked up nine points from three games in a week which is
outstanding. Going away to Everton, we knew it would be difficult, believe
me we've been here several times and got nothing."

Noble continued to stress the importance team spirit played in turning a two
goal deficit into a fantastic 3-2 victory. All seemed lost when Romelu
Lukaku stepped up to take a penalty which would have seen Everton take a
commanding 3-0 league, however Adrian pulled off a terrific save before
three late goals turned the game on its head. The skipper continued: "It
just shows what we have in the dressing room. The team spirit and the
desire, the never say die attitude is just amazing. "Adrian's penalty save
was the turning point really and we never looked back from there.
"I always knew the importance of getting just one goal, and I was saying
that to the lads out on the pitch. We knew the first goal would give us the
belief and it would also give them a bit of nervousness. And we managed to
do that."

Looking ahead to Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester United this
Sunday, Noble is hoping the Hammers can take their electrifying league form
into the cup. He continued: "The pleasing thing is they have all been hard
games, but deserved victories. Big Sam coming back with Sunderland, then
obviously the derby and Everton away which has traditionally been a bogey
ground for us."

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Legends to face-off in Boleyn farewell
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Boleyn Ground will play host to a unique clash between
England and Germany to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Three Lions'
1966 FIFA World Cup win.

Two squads packed with international legends will take to the Hammers'
hallowed turf Bank Holiday Monday 2 May at 4pm in what promises to be a
fitting farewell to one of English football's most iconic stadia.

This landmark fixture will see some of the biggest names in modern football
history take to the same Boleyn Ground pitch that was the regular stomping
ground of 1966 heroes Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters five
decades ago.

Among those who have already signed up for international duty one more time
are former Hammers and England internationals Joe Cole, Teddy Sheringham,
Dean Ashton, Trevor Sinclair and David James.

Joining them in the red shirts made famous 50 years ago will be a host of
latter-day Three Lions heroes boasting hundreds of England caps between
them; Italia 90 hero David Platt, five-time major tournament finalist Sol
Campbell, two-time FIFA World Cup finalist Paul Scholes, Euro 96
semi-finalists Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler.

The professionals will be supported by a cast of stars from film, music,
sport and television, including lifelong Hammer and assistant manager Ray
Winstone.

Winstone and his star-studded England squad will not have it all their own
way, however, as the Germany Legends also possess a fearsome line-up of
international heroes of years gone by.

Die Mannschaft will be captained by former Chelsea and Bayern Munich
midfielder Michael Ballack, who will be able to call upon 1990 FIFA World
Cup-winning captain Lothar Matthaus and defender Guido Buchwald, Euro 96
winners Fredi Bobic and Mario Basler and 2002 World Cup centre-half Jens
Nowotny.

Seats for this fantastic send-off to the Boleyn Ground are on sale to West
Ham United Season Ticket Holders now, with a priority period to secure their
own regular seat in place until 9am on Monday 14 March. Click here to buy
now!

Tickets will then go on sale to Members, with any remaining seats going on
General Sale from 9am on Monday 21 March.

Standard Tickets are priced at £20 for Adults, £10 for Over-65s and
Under-21s and £5 for Under-16s.
Alternatively, you can watch this special Farewell Boleyn fixture in style,
with VIP packages available from £99 plus VAT. For more information or to
buy now, please call 0871 091 1811 (calls cost 10p/min plus network extras).

*West Ham fans should also keep a close eye on the Club's website and social
media channels for an once-in-a-lifetime chance to live out their ultimate
football fantasy and spend ten minutes playing on the hallowed Upton Park
turf with the Legends in front of an international TV audience. More details
will follow soon.

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German youngster turned down Hammers to continue his education March 8, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk BKHammer

Swiss newspaper Blick have an interesting story about FC St.Gallen's
youngster Lucas Cueto, who came close to joining West Ham United on
professional terms. In 2012, Cueto was spotted by the scouts of West Ham
when he went to London, and enjoyed a brief stint with the West Ham U18s
team. Cueto told Blick that he'd move to London for study and was noticed by
West Ham: "The youth team of 'Brandwood School' played in a tournament.
There I was discovered by West Ham scouts and committed immediately. At 16,
I played in their Under-18 team. A brilliant experience."
Cueto impressed the youth team coaches at West Ham, and was quickly offered
a two-year contract, but unfortunately for him, he had to complete his
school, and didn't wanted to sacrifice his education so he had to reject it.
Now, Cueto has joined Swiss side St. Gallen, where he is making a name for
himself, and is also continuing further studies in Business Administration
and Psychology. He has also played for the German U18 and U19 teams. Cueto
says he doesn't regret rejecting West Ham, and is quite content at St.
Gallen, who according to him are similar to West Ham. West Ham would have
been a golden opportunity for Cueto.

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Allardyce neglected us, says Galaxy star KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 8th March 2016
By: Staff Writer

Former West Ham Academy prospect Seb Lletget has revealed how he and his
fellow youth stars were hung out to dry by Sam Allardyce in the infamous FA
Cup defeat at Nottingham Forest. Lletget - who is currently wowing the
crowds at LA Galaxy alongside Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane - was one of a
number of Academy players who were handed their debuts at the City Ground
for the FA Cup third round clash with Forest back in January 2014, due to a
chronic injury list. West Ham's young team - that included half-a-dozen
debutants - were thrashed 5-0 on the day by the Championship side. And
Lletget believes that Allardyce deliberately sent out an inexperienced side
in order to make a point about his lack of first team options. "I look back
at that now and it's just like 'oh'!" Lletget told KUMB.com's James Longman.
"I enjoyed it because it was our only opportunity. But we played a formation
that we've never played in our life and we didn't have too much experience
on the field - which I realise is important now having played with Stevie
[Gerrard] and Keano. "It's important having those senior guys around to
control things, the kind of things the fans don't see. We had none of that.
We were just improvising really and I've never been in that position before.
I couldn't even tell you what he said to us out there because it wasn't
inspiring."

Lletget was also critical of Allardyce's perceived lack of interest in the
Academy and its players - something that, as a developing player, he found
immensely frustrating. "I can say this now as it's been a long while and a
lot has happened," he added. "But I believe there was a lot of neglect.
"It's not that he didn't care, but it's like he had better things on his
mind. He didn't have time for us and I couldn't understand that. "Being a
Premier League manager is tough, it's not easy. But I feel like even if it's
tough, you can still care and show that. With us, all we wanted was a
handshake in the morning, for him to know our names - but he had none of
that. "People respected him because they were scared of him, but they all
wanted to do well and make it because they didn't want to get exiled. And a
lot of players did, immediately, without a second thought. "It was a real
shame because we had a really good group of lads and a lot of talent, but it
never got to shine."

San Franciscan Lletget - who was allowed to leave West Ham on a free
transfer in May 2015 - returned to the US in order to join LA Galaxy after
six years in England. Since then his form has resulted in widespread backing
for a place in the US national squad. However he admits that he still keeps
an eye out for West Ham's results - "it's the first team I check for!", he
says - and believes that current manager Slaven Bilic has got the balance
right. "I want to see them do well. I have a lot of love for West Ham, I
really do," he said. "I still speak to a lot of the players at the club. It
seems like Slaven Bilic is doing a fantastic job and you can tell right away
he shows a lot of love to the youth. I think as a West Ham fan you like
that, the likes of Nobes who has come up through the Academy and you want
more."

* To listen to James Longman's exclusive interview wih Lletget in full,
download or stream the latest edition of the award-winning Knees up Mother
Brown West Ham Podcast, also featuring journalist Lee Clayton, from here.

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Hammers stars set for huge financial bonus Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on
March 8, 2016 in News C and H

West Ham's players are in line to share a bonus of at least £7million if
they can gatecrash the Champions League places. The Mirror's Darren Lewis -
who yesterday appeared both here and on our ClaretandHugh interview section
of MooreThanJust aPodcast - has revealed the huge financial jackpot the
players could share. He writes: "After a run of just one win in five they
have now won their last three League games as the battle for a qualifying
place for next season's elite European club competition hots up." And he
repeats our story of yesterday in which we revealed the huge cash bonanza if
they can see their shock top four challenge through. As we explained: "Last
season's 12th place saw us pick up £11.2million in Premier League prize
money whereas a top four placing could see that nearly double.".

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Former Hammer bags brace on Irish debut
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H

Former Hammer, Sean Maguire has made a perfect start for Cork City by
scoring twice at the weekend. The striker was the difference between the two
teams as he helped Cork get off to a winning start at home on the first day
of the Irish league. "Before the game, I would have taken three points and
no goals, but scoring two goals in the 'Shed End' on my debut is just a
bonus, so I'm delighted," Maguire told reporters. "Coming here, there was a
bit of pressure, but I think scoring in the past couple of games has given
me confidence and hopefully I can just kick on from here." The Republic of
Ireland Under-21 international added: "I worked really hard in pre-season
and John [Caulfield] has shown faith in me, playing me up front on my own
with Gav [Holohan] and we've formed a good partnership, we know each other
really well." Cork manager John Caulfield was impressed by his new
acquisition. "It might be a rejuvenated Seanie Maguire and that's what we
want," Caulfield told reporters after the game. It was two 'fox in the box'
finishes in a game that was tight and I suppose they were goals out of
nothing, which is a credit to Sean. Since he's come in, his work rate and
attitude have been phenomenal. If he keeps working like that, he'll score
goals and that's what we want."

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DG sends Hodgson a Hammers invitation
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H

David Gold has made it clear that Mark Noble, Aaron Cresswell and Michail
Antonio have all well and truly stamped out their England claims this
season. Whether Roy Hodgson chooses to include any or all of them in his
next squad later this month is one thing but Gold has no doubt that they
should all be under his microscope. West Ham fans have in the main given up
of the England boss giving Noble a call despite his outstanding form this
season but Gold has little doubt he could do a job at international level.
Speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh he said: "I like Roy and would far
sooner have an Englishman running our national team than a foreigner - that
has never felt right. "Now I would urge him to home and look at at West Ham-
those three Englishmen in particular are doing brilliantly for us. Mark is
in the form of his life and must surely have a chance. "For me Aaron should
be in the squad - he has been brilliant and there can't be many, if any,
better than him. I have my fingers crossed for the lad. "And Michail has had
a wonderful season. He is totally fearless and would not be in the last bit
fazed by an international call up. "Whether he's playing for Tooting and
Mitcham or England, it all comes the same to him - he has fantastic ability
and attitude."

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Batshuayi blow for West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 8, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H

Michy Batshuayi appears to have pledged his foreseeable future to Olympique
Marseille. Batshuayi signed a new contract in January this year in a move
that was widely believed to be designed to raise the striker's asking price
up to £30million, with the 22 year old striker now tied to Marseille until
2020. West Ham are said to be prepared to pay £20m for Batshuayi in the
summer but the player has said he is still keen to remain at Marseille, who
signed him from Standard Liege in 2014. Batshuayi"For me, the future is with
Olympique Marseille," said Batshuayi. "I like it here, there's a magnificent
stadium, good players that I love. "I want to stay, I love the club as a
whole: the club, the supporters, the joy." "Whether in Europe or not, it
will not change. I began my story with OM, and I find that my story with OM
is still far from over." Olympique Marseille coach Michel is determined to
keep hold of Benjamin Mendy and Michy Batshuayi. Michel is aware of the
rumours and says Mendy and Micy must be kept. "I would keep Michy
(Batshuayi) and Mendy. They are two young players still learning. They have
to play," said Michel.

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West Ham squad set to share £7million bonus if they claim Champions League
place
22:30, 7 MAR 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Hammers are a point off fourth-placed Manchester City following their
come-from-behind win at Everton this weekend
The Mirror

West Ham's players are in line to share a bonus of at least £7million if
they can gatecrash the Champions League places. Slaven Bilic has his men
just a point off fourth-placed Manchester City after their stunning win from
2-0 down at Goodison on Saturday. It means that after a run of just one win
in five they have now won their last three League games as the battle for a
qualifying place for next season's elite European club competition hots up.
It also means the club can set their sights on a huge cash bonanza if they
can see their shock top four challenge through.
Last season under Sam Allardyce, West Ham's 25-man squad finished 12th,
picking up £11.2million in Premier League prize money and sharing a
£2million bonus. This year the Hammers will more than double that amount if
they can defy all expectations and finish fourth. It would land them over
£21million in Premier League merit payments. It would double the players'
end-of-season bonus and it would land the squad a further bonus for reaching
the Champions League.

West Ham chiefs budgeted at the start of this season for a crack at the
Europa League at best. Inspired by star signing Dimitri Payet and arguably
their best squad in Premier League history, however, they have given
themselves the chance of a dream finish to their last-ever season at Upton
Park. Finishing in the Champions League places would increase the club's
chances of landing the high-calibre stars they have already targeted for
summer moves, including £25million-rated Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi.
Victory in the play-off, should the Irons snatch fourth, would also land
them £1.5million. A place in the group stages would rake in a guaranteed
£9million along with around £25million in TV money. Group stage wins earn
clubs £1.1million while each draw brings in £386,000.

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Gold on Dimi's Everton revenge
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 8, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold has refused to pull his punches in discussing the amazing win
over Everton and Dimi Payet's part in it. The 'Upton Park Zinedine Zidane'
suffered the biggest low of his season when ruthlessly challenged by James
McCarthy in the first encounter at the Boleyn. That put him out of action
for two months and the bad blood between the two club reached boiling point
as a result. Now the Hammers co chairman has made his feelings pretty clear
on the McCarthy challenge and how Dimi will have responded to his last
minute winner at Goodison Park. A follower on Twitter said to him:"Imagine
if McCarthy hadn't of put Payet out for 2 months we would've won the league.
Gold's response was succinct and to the point as he declared: "Beating
Everton in the last minute was sweet revenge for Dimitri Payet. dg" He
added: "Great players, great manager great fans. Perfect storm.

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Batshuayi blow for West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 8, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Michy Batshuayi appears to have pledged his foreseeable future to Olympique
Marseille. Batshuayi signed a new contract in January this year in a move
that was widely believed to be designed to raise the striker's asking price
up to £30million, with the 22 year old striker now tied to Marseille until
2020. West Ham are said to be prepared to pay £20m for Batshuayi in the
summer but the player has said he is still keen to remain at Marseille, who
signed him from Standard Liege in 2014. Batshuayi"For me, the future is with
Olympique Marseille," said Batshuayi. "I like it here, there's a magnificent
stadium, good players that I love. "I want to stay, I love the club as a
whole: the club, the supporters, the joy."
"Whether in Europe or not, it will not change. I began my story with OM, and
I find that my story with OM is still far from over." Olympique Marseille
coach Michel is determined to keep hold of Benjamin Mendy and Michy
Batshuayi. Michel is aware of the rumours and says Mendy and Micy must be
kept. "I would keep Michy (Batshuayi) and Mendy. They are two young players
still learning. They have to play," said Michel.

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Enner Valencia poses in a full face cast as his wife hails the West Ham star
'Superman'
West Ham United news: Click here for all the latest Enner Valencia's wife,
Sharon, has posted a photograph to Instagram The picture depicts the
26-year-old forward wearing a full face cast He has been in good form in
2016 and has been involved in six goals By JOHN DOWNES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 13:18, 8 March 2016 | UPDATED: 13:40, 8 March 2016

Enner Valencia's Ecuadorian wife, Sharon, has posted a photograph to
Instagram of her partner posing in a full face cast, hailing the West Ham
United forward as 'Superman.' The 26-year-old has impressed in east London
since his move from Pachuca in 2014 and has been integral to the Irons'
unprecedented Champions League push this season. Valencia was in great form
this year before picking up an injury in mid-February and has been involved
in six goals since January 1, scoring four and assisting two, as he leads
West Ham's top four charge alongside team-mates, Michail Antonio and Dimitri
Payet. With Valencia in his squad, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is
confident that Leicester City's remarkable rise heralds an end to a period
of dominance by a select few clubs and is looking forward to a more
unpredictable Premier League. Leicester lead the division by five points
with nine games to play in a season that has seen powerhouses such as
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool struggling to break into the top
four, let alone challenge for the title. Bilic, whose team are fifth in the
table, two points ahead of United in sixth, described the Foxes'
transformation from relegation strugglers last season to current title
favourites as a miracle that could mark the start of a trend. 'I think this
is a permanent shift at the top,' the Croatian told British media after his
team came from behind to defeat Everton 3-2 on Saturday. 'Our story is
excellent but their (Leicester's) story is miraculous.' The 20 Premier
League teams will share most of the 5.1 billion pounds ($7.2 billion) for
live domestic TV coverage in a three-year deal starting next term and Bilic
said the money would lead to even greater competition in the seasons to
come. 'Say Manchester City buy Karim Benzema,' he said. 'They have Sergio
Aguero already, so there is no big gap for them to improve. 'Chelsea can
sell Diego Costa and buy Robert Lewandowski, yes, but they are only
different, not better. 'But clubs like us, Crystal Palace, West Bromwich
Albion, Leicester, we can still improve with the money. Two years ago West
Brom maybe could afford Salomon Rondon, but they would have had to sell
Saido Berahino to get him. 'Now they can keep Berahino, so next year, with
more investment, you can keep those players.'

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Manchester United line up shock summer move for West Ham winger MANCHESTER
UNITED are lining up a shock move for West Ham winger Michail Antonio.
By BRUCE ARCHER
PUBLISHED: 11:45, Tue, Mar 8, 2016 | UPDATED: 11:59, Tue, Mar 8, 2016
Express

The 25-year-old joined the Hammers from Nottingham Forest this summer on a
four-year deal for £7million. But, according to Football Insider, United
have been impressed with his performances and could make a move at the end
of the season. Antonio has scored five goals in his last eight games
including the winner against Tottenham last week and one in the 3-2 victory
over Everton on Saturday. United will listen to offers for Antonio Valencia
and see the Hammers man as a replacement. They are still expected to sack
Louis van Gaal in the summer and undergo a fresh recruitment drive under a
new boss. Jose Mourinho remains the favourite to take over from the Dutchman
but Ryan Giggs is still in the running. Van Gaal had won four games on the
bounce before Sunday's defeat to West Brom which leaves them three points
off the top four having played a game more than Manchester City. West Ham
meanwhile are just a point behind City in fifth.

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How Dimitri Payet the late developer has become West Ham's Zinedine
Zidane... but could still miss out on a place at Euro 2016 West Ham ace
Dimitri Payet has taken Upton Park by storm since his move The Hammers made
Payet their highest-paid ever player in February Chinese side Shanghai
Shenhua tried to prise Payet away with £38m offer Payet could miss out on a
place in France's squad despite his superb form By ADAM CRAFTON FOR THE
DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:41, 7 March 2016 | UPDATED: 08:12, 8 March 2016

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic hails him as the best thing to happen to the
club since Paolo Di Canio, chairman David Sullivan ranks him alongside
Trevor Brooking and Carlos Tevez in the pantheon of East End heroes and the
fans serenade him with a ditty declaring him better than Zinedine Zidane.
For Dimitri Payet, the eulogies might be beginning to sound a little uneasy
but nobody at West Ham will mind while the Frenchman is bewitching Upton
Park, bamboozling defenders and leading an improbable assault on the
Barclays Premier League top four.
On Saturday, Everton were the latest to be undone by Payet in another
performance of fleet-footedness, dazzling pirouettes, precise set-piece
delivery and a dramatic late goal that secured a 3-2 victory and lifted West
Ham to fifth in the table.

DIMITRI PAYET'S FORMER CLUBS
2005-07: Nantes (34 appearances, 5 goals)
2007-11: Saint-Etienne (148 apps, 25 goals)
2011-13: Lille (94 apps, 19 goals)
2013-15: Marseille (83 apps, 15 goals)
2015- : West Ham (25 apps, 9 goals)
2010- : France (15 apps, 1 goal)

After signing from Marseille last summer, Payet has scored eight league
goals and created 81 chances - 43 more than West Ham's next best Mark Noble,
35 more than Lionel Messi of Barcelona this season and the fourth best in
Europe's top five leagues. 'I think you English guys love this kind of
player,' says Rene Girard, the former Lille and Montpellier coach who called
up Payet to the France Under 21 side in 2007. 'He is a Cantona type, a
Gascoigne type. It's that bit of arrogance, the strut, the artistic sense
and that innate ability to illuminate a match. He's had that kind of impact
on West Ham.' Payet's form persuaded Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua to offer
£38million for the midfielder last month and also explains why West Ham
responded instantly by making him the highest-paid player in the club's
history as he signed a five-year deal worth £125,000-per-week. Bilic
believes Payet is a serious contender for the end-of-season individual
awards, which makes it all the more surprising to learn that he turns 29
later this month.

So why has it taken so long for the midfielder to announce himself as a
serious presence on the European stage?
His story begins more than 6,000 miles away from Green Street. Payet spent
his childhood years in the French territory of Reunion, a remote Indian
Ocean island with a tropical climate and idyllic beaches that lies midway
between Madagascar and Mauritius. It is home to one of the world's most
active volcanoes, Le Piton de la Fournaise, known for its frequent but
short-lived eruptions. Yet for all its exotic allure, Reunion, an overseas
department of France, mirrors its mother country. The locals drive the same
Peugeots and Renaults you would see on the streets of Paris and patisseries
furnish every street corner. Payet adored his 'paradise' upbringing, his
father introducing him and his two younger brothers to football, and he soon
began playing for local teams Saint Philippe and Saint-Pierroise. His
potential was swiftly recognised, attracting the attention of scouts on the
France mainland. Saint-Pierroise had a reciprocal agreement with Le Havre
and scouts recruited the 12-year-old Payet, who moved to France, where he
shared a room at the club's academy with former Liverpool forward Florent
Sinama Pongolle. 'He found it hard when he came here,' says Michael
Lebaillif, who coached Payet between the age of 14 and 16. 'He came over
here alone as a kid. He went home at Christmas or Easter but that's really
tough, to be without your family. 'He lacked maturity and he did some silly,
childish things. He had problems in the nearby school. He lacked rigour and
the ability to really dedicate himself to his football at that age. He never
did anything terrible but it was an accumulation of factors. 'He was always
technically sound. On the field, he was always obsessed with scoring
beautiful goals, he was attempting acrobatics during games and rarely chose
the easy option. 'It is the old story of expression against rigour and we
certainly want our players to enjoy themselves but he did enjoy those
bicycle kicks a bit too much!' But at the age of 16, Le Havre decided to cut
their ties with Payet. On entering the academy building at Le Havre, you
wander past framed photographs of Riyad Mahrez, Paul Pogba, Lassana Diarra
and many more products of this highly-impressive youth system. The only
picture of Payet, however, is found in an old storage cupboard. It is a
portrait of the full academy squad from his days as a teenager. Perhaps
poignantly, Payet is sat on the bottom row, in the furthest chair to the
right and it would appear a fitting snapshot of a rather unedifying
experience at the club.

Lebaillif says: 'It might surprise you now when you see how ripped and
muscular he is, but you have to understand that at that age, he was frail,
weak and he lacked pace. He was encountering stronger players who were more
physically developed and he struggled to hold his own on the field. He was
always technically impressive but the surprise to us has been his physical
evolution.'

Academy director Johann Louvel says: 'It was a shock when it happened but
also expected. He knew how it was going. We believe we allowed Dimitri to
become the person he is today.
'It was part of his development. It's not a regret for us. We've spoken
since, we have a very good relationship. I am very fond of him.' Le Havre
secured him a move to AS Excelsior but that meant a return to Reunion
Island.

Payet is part of the feted French 1987 generation, but while Karim Benzema,
Samir Nasri and Hatem Ben Arfa were lifting the Under 17 European
Championship in 2004, Payet was not yet on the radar of the French youth
team scouts. Payet would stay on his home island for two years, playing in
Excelsior's modest 1,200 capacity stadium, before Nantes offered him a
lifeline at the age of 18 in 2005. Local reports suggested Nantes were even
given the option of terminating the contract after six months if they so
wished. The club's former manager Rene Degenne recalled to French
publication La Provence: 'The day I watched him, it was so windy, and wind
is the worst enemy of a footballer. Dimitri was poor, to be truthful but did
two or three classy things that stood out. On that alone, I took a chance on
him.' At Nantes, he worked part-time in a clothes store to supplement his
income, breaking into the first-team in the 2005-2006 season before signing
for Saint-Etienne, followed by subsequent progressive moves to Lille and
Marseille in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

Questions have persisted over his attitude. At Nantes, there was an
altercation in training with former Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien
Barthez, who was moonlighting as an outfield player and launched a crude
tackle on Payet. The winger, a youngster at the time, reacted furiously. At
Saint-Etienne, there was an on-field brawl with team-mate Blaise Matuidi, as
Payet punched the midfielder in the head. Despite such misdemeanours, Payet
has demonstrated gradual progression. His manager at Lille, Rudi Garcia,
explains: 'His development has been slow but now he has arrived. Previously,
his issue has been consistency. I think with every transfer he has improved
and now we see the fruits of this. 'He's always been special, we beat Paris
Saint-Germain to his signing. For a coach, he is amazing because he is
genuinely ambidextrous, he can play left, right, or through the middle
comfortably. 'For me, he had one good game and then one bad game. He now
understands that you have to give 100 per cent in every match. The English
school of football is good for him. You can't survive without that
intensity. For all the talent in the world, hard work is the key. 'He is now
more complete, a good character. The decision to reject the move to China
was big. It demonstrates his maturity and the fact he has grown up. 'He is a
big talent. Look at his free-kicks. Did you see that one against Blackburn
in the FA Cup? Wow! He would stay every day for hours to perfect his
free-kicks. 'It became pure repetition and calm execution. He practises like
a pianist ensuring he is always in tune.'

In France, there is growing appreciation for Payet. He impressed for
Marseille last season under manager Marcelo Bielsa, admitting that he 'spent
one year with Bielsa but learned enough for the next 10 years'. Sources
close to the Marseille dressing room say Argentine Bielsa pushed Payet like
never before, challenging him to apply himself for every minute of every
game or threatening to drop him to the substitutes' bench. Payet was left
out on occasion, but also contributed 17 assists and it was a highly
fruitful relationship. One man who remains unconvinced is the France
national team manager Didier Deschamps and, remarkably, very few across the
Channel expect Payet to be in the Euro 2016 squad. One L'Équipe journalist
explains: 'Mathieu Valbuena is ahead of him in the pecking order and
possibly Ben Arfa, too. Of course there is Antoine Griezmann and Anthony
Martial, too. There is big competition. 'Valbuena has a great history with
the national team while Payet doesn't and he gave a silly interview last
year in which he suggested it was an "injustice" that Deschamps overlooks
him.' When Payet made his full France debut against Romania in 2010, he sent
the signed shirt to his mother on Reunion Island. He still longs for a place
at Euro 2016. If his star keeps shining bright at West Ham, he may yet
transport both his own and his club's aspirations towards their very own
paradise.

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