Dimitri Payet is becoming the most talked about Hammers star in years at the end of a long journey from rags to riches.
And it maybe those early years that ses him remain determined to scale the heights as demonstrated yesterday when he questioned his failure to win a place in the France international squad.
In the video a young Dimtri Payet selling jumpers in a shop in Nantes, France back in 2005.
The then 18 year old, was on an amateur football contract at Nantes at the time and the wages weren’t enough to live on so he had to take a part-time second job, working in a clothes shop.
He signed for Nantes in January 2005 – a two-year amateur deal with the club and was inserted into the club’s reserve team. In the 2005–06 season, Payet quickly established himself as one of the best players on the reserve team.
He impressed with the team in 22 matches scoring six goals and was described by the club’s reserve team coach Stéphane Moreau as a “talented player despite his natural indifference”
His influential play with the team resulted in the player being called up to the senior team in December 2005. Payet made his professional debut on 19 December 2005 in a league match against Bordeaux appearing as a substitute in a 0–0 draw.
After the winter break, he remained with the senior team and scored his first professional goal in a 4–1 win over Metz.
The midfielder appeared as a substitute in the match and had not been on the field for no more than two minutes before netting the goal. After appearing in a league match against Toulouse Payet was relegated back to the reserve team for the rest of the season.
Ten years later he is one of the new stars of the Premier League
