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Devonshire v Payet – here’s Dev’s verdict

Dev1

EXCLUSIVE

Club legend – and next to Mooro – my personal West Ham favourite, the great Alan Devonshire, has spoken for the first time on the man who is being hailed as having taken over his Upton Park mantle – Dimitri Payet.

And in an exclusive interview with CLARETANDHUGH he gives a generous appraisal of the man’s talents saying: “I really enjoyed what I saw against Newcastle – he’s a top player and is going to be great for us. However, it’s probably too early to start comparing him with me.

“People tried that when Stewart Downing was around but let’s be honest he was never Alan dDevonshire was he? I’m glad we son’t have top go there again.”

However, he’s more than happy to discuss Payet declaring him “a very good technical player” who at 28 years old is arriving at the peak of his powers.

Dimitri-Payet-605211He said: “I had a God given gift and knew how to avoid tackles and lunges because I had an instinct to know when they were coming.

“Payet has the same from what I can see and like myself is very aware of everything that is going on around him and where players are.

“He knows where the goal is and his first against Newcastle really was out of the top drawer…he’s very gifted and I can understand why the comparisons are being made but let’s give it a bit of time.”

Dev always made going past the roughest and toughest challenges look easy even after “smashing my knee up” in the 1984 FA Cup clash against Wigan.

He said: “I had plenty of speed before that but I still managed to go past them afterwards – it’s really about awareness and instincts of what’s going on.”

He believes that the coaching system is responsible for the lack of players like himself and Payet declaring: “Natural ability gets knocked out of our kids at an early age and that has created a problem in our game.

“I was never coached. John Lyall simply told me to go out there and play. Dimitri has probably received the same treatment and I’m sure if not, he will under Slaven Bilic. You have to let players like us play our natural game.”

A smile and a laugh is never far away with Dev though and whilst being very impressed with our new playmaker he couldn’t say the same for Steve McClaren’s Newcastle.

He said: “Had the ’86 team have played against them the result would have been the same as it was back then – 8-1.”

 

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

4 comments on “Devonshire v Payet – here’s Dev’s verdict

  1. There is only 1 Alan Devonshire,but Payet will be a legend.

  2. Ffs,there must have been some sad b*stards about if they were comparing Downing to Dev,lol.Dev is a Legend,Payet has the chance to be one.Long way to go before it can be said of him yet though.

  3. I nerve like compairing players ,because they are unique in themselves !
    But I know for sure that devo was a talent that only surfaces now and then ,
    Dev proved his worth every time he pulled the shirt on and watching him perform at the highest technical ability was a pure joy , every time he picked the ball up you just knew he was going to do something mind blowing !!!! The man was unique !!!!!
    Payet is a player who is also gifted and a visionary who also gets joy out of serving his teammates with any greed aattached , he like Devonshire will pass a ball to a teammate
    to score rather than score himself , they simply chose the best option for the play.!
    Payet will be payet as Devonshire was Devonshire !!
    Ask me again in 3 or 4 years and get another opinion !!!!
    Dev was a hammer through and through and stayed with the club a long time only time
    will tell if payet is a true hammer and on that note let’s wait and see!

    By the way Brooking ( god ) wasn’t bad either ?
    Spoilt were’nt we !!!!!!
    COYI!!!!!!!!!!!NS

  4. Really dont see how you can compare them.Different styles in my book.Dev was amazing to watch,he walked on water.Payet still has much to do to be put in the same bracket as Dev or Sir.Trev 😉

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