Payet gives Slav an Ayew reference

andreayew726Dimi Payet has had a big input in Slaven Bilic’s decision to bring Andre Ayew to West Ham.

The manager – knowing of their close relationship at Marseilles where they were room mates – pulled Payet aside and discussed the former Swansea player with him before the club made him their record signing.

Ayew got away to a flier at the Liberty Stadium last season and when it became clear he was on his way out Bilic quizzed Dimi about his abilities.

And when it became clear he was on his way out of the Liberty Stadium, Bilic gave Payet a grilling about his former Marseille team-mate.

Slav said:  “Of course I asked him. Marseille is a big club and we spoke about Andre.

“We didn’t have a meeting at the beginning but I would mention Andre to Dimitri in training because he had scored a few goals for Swansea. More recently I asked him some more serious questions about Ayew.

“It is important, sometimes crucial, to speak to players because he knew him a bit better than me.

“They were room-mates, team-mates at Marseille and he knows more about the player than me.”

“It is a big signing for us and his link with Payet will strengthen us as a team.

“We did not want to spend for the sake of spending but we felt Andre would make a big difference to us.

 

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