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Dimitri Payet on leaving West Ham and being tough to manage - 'When I want to p*** everyone off, I do it'
Controversial former West Ham star Dimitri Payet has admitted he can be a difficult player to manage and that "when I want to p*** everyone off, I do it."
Payet left West Ham under acrimonious circumstances in January after the France international pushed for a move away, even going as far as telling the club he would never play for them again. He eventually secured a £25 million move to Marseille.
Having enjoyed hero status at Upton Park - he shone during his debut season in east London, scoring 12 goals and setting up 15 - his sudden determination to leave caused outrage amongst Hammers fans, especially as only a year earlier he had signed a new five-year contract to tie him to the club until the summer of 2021.
But Payet had not been the same, sources said at the time, since returning from the Euros when he thought he was going to earn a big move away from West Ham.
"I know how to be a d***head. It's one of my specialities," he told So Foot. "It's a little game. When I want to p*** everyone off, I do it.
"My managers understood that when I sulk, they talk to me. It's a way for me to be heard. Those who know me play along, and, in the end, it goes well.
"I left [West Ham] for many reasons, but the main one was about football. West Ham's objectives weren't the same as the last season, and I felt in danger for my football and my chances with the national team. I had a choice to make."