Dimitri Payet proud to 'have acted like a d***head' in order to force through move away from West Ham

'I know how to be a d**khead, it is one of my specialities'

Payet forced through a move from West Ham to Marseille (Getty)

Dimitri Payet has admitted that he acted “like a d***head” in order to force through his controversial move from West Ham to Ligue 1 side Marseille.

The French international joined West Ham from Marseille in time for the 2015/16 season and it didn’t take him long to become a fan favourite. He scored nine Premier League goals for the club and played an influential role in their impressive 7^th-place finish.

But things turned sour for Payet at West Ham after Euro 2016, with the midfielder deciding he wanted to return to his former club.

In January 2017 he downed tools and refused to play for the club, with West Ham’s supporters quick to turn on the 30-year-old for his lack of loyalty. It wasn’t long before he completed a £25m move back to the Stade Vélodrome, with Payet readily admitting that he acted “like a d***head” to guarantee the transfer.

“I know how to be a d**khead, it is one of my specialities,” Payet said in an interview with the French football magazine So Foot when asked about his relationship with West Ham and their manager Slaven Bilic.

“It’s a little game. When I want to piss 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.”

Payet walked out on West Ham despite being a fan favourite (Getty)

Payet also added that despite his desire to quit the club, Bilic was an effective man-manager.

“He managed me like a father,” the midfielder said.

“We spoke every day. He quickly understood how I worked. You saw that straight away in how quickly I adapted.

“He’s a cranky guy. He’s from Croatia… He can shout, but he’s good at man management.”