If you want Dimitri Payet to keep producing the goods, then the best approach would be to sing ‘We’ve got Payet!’ from kick-off to final whistle!
West Ham United’s French star revealed that, when he first arrived in east London in summer 2015, his lack of English meant he could not understand exactly what the Claret and Blue Army were singing about.
However, once he got a handle on the language, Payet said hearing his name being sung from the stands inspired him to try even harder to make things happen for the Hammers on the pitch.
“At the beginning I didn't even know it was a song about me because it was in English, but the song resonates well in our Stadium,” he told French TV show Telefoot. “It doesn't affect my concentration – on the contrary it pushes me to do better!”
While Payet has continued to take and create chances for his teammates this season, scoring once goal, chalking up four assists and making 40 key passes in just nine Premier League appearances.
The Hammer of the Year’s form, however, has not coincided with a strong start for his team, who go into the November international break sitting 17th in the table.
Payet, for one, is determined to help Slaven Bilic’s side to turn things around when he returns from FIFA World Cup qualifying duty.
“We’ve had a very poor start,” he accepted. “We find ourselves in a difficult position. We are going to try to rapidly climb back into the top half of the table.”
To fulfil that aim, the No27 said the Hammers have to turn the Club’s new London Stadium home into a fortress.
With two wins, two draws and two defeats from six Premier League matches in Stratford, Payet is targeting an improvement in that record, starting with the visit of title-chasing Arsenal on 3 December.
“After playing for all those seasons at a mythical stadium like Upton Park, it is clear that we have made a new start at a Stadium that is much more modern,” he observed.
“It is the start of a revolution at the Club and we have to get used to it and make this Stadium a strong point for us.”