Collins recalls first sight of Hammers star Payet
James Collins didn’t know a lot about Dimitri Payet when he first arrived at West Ham but one training session with the Frenchman was enough to show the Welsh defender what the Hammers were getting.
Payet was the standout player for West Ham last season, before going onto star with France at the Euros and earn a nomination for the Ballon D’Or.
While this season has been tougher for Slaven Bilic’s side, who currently sit 17th in the Premier League, Payet has still produced a few moments of magic, most notably with an outrageous turn and rabona cross against Watford.
And Collins has revealed that it’s not just in games that Payet embarrasses players, having been on the wrong end of some sensational skill in training.
(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
He said: “Dimi is a tremendous player. What he did for West Ham last season was fantastic and he was the catalyst for everything we did.
“He was setting up goals, scoring goals and the manager made a real point when he signed Dimi.
“He makes other players around him more confident and then what he did for France during the summer took him to another level.
“I probably realised how good he was in the first couple of days when he put the ball through my legs and turned the other defenders before putting the ball past the keeper!
“If I am honest I didn’t know too much about him when he first came but when I saw the things he could do, I knew he was a special player.”
