Former West Ham United midfielder Michael Carrick is relishing the chance to come up against his old side at Old Trafford in the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final and feels Dimitri Payet has been one of the signings of the season.
Payet, who recently won the Premier League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards has wasted no time becoming a cult hero at the Boleyn Ground and Carrick knows that his Manchester United side will need to stop the French star if they are to take progress to the next round.
Carrick enjoyed a memorable four-year spell with the Hammers where he made 159 appearances and scored six goals.
The England midfielder knows it will be a special atmosphere inside Old Trafford on Sunday and feels his side will have to be at their very best if they are to come away with a victory as West Ham are enjoying a memorable season under Slaven Bilic.
Carrick said: “They’ve impressed me an awful lot this season, they started off well with a couple of big results against Arsenal and Manchester City and they have carried that on.
“They’ve got a good mix and Payet has had a fantastic season and now he is back from injury, he’s flying again.
“They may not have expected to be where they are now, but as a squad they look strong and they’ve got good quality in depth and full credit to them.
“Payet has been their main man this season, I hadn’t seen much of him before coming to West Ham, but he has been a huge hit in the Premier League, with his performances, goals, assists and everything else that he brings to their side. He has almost been the catalyst for their season.
“We know this is a big week for us and this is the time of the season when things are won or lost. We want to stay in the competitions right until the very end.”