Dimitri will Hammer rivals like Zizou did
star of the show “He’s better than Zidane,” has been the favoured chant of West Ham fans all season as Dimitri Payet tormented Premier League defences.
And France legend Thierry Henry reckons the Hammers faithful might just have a point after watching the 29year-old shine in Friday’s 2-1 win over Romania.
Zidane had the Stade de France crowd on their feet with a first-half brace the last time Les Bleus held a major tournament, the 1998 World Cup.
Sixteen years on Payet produced similar magic on the same pitch as he set up Olivier Giroud for France’s first before curling home a winner in the dying moments.
However, Payet’s trickery on the ball proved equally impressive with Henry likening the playmaker to his former team-mate.
The ex-Arsenal striker, who was an unused sub the night France beat Brazil to lift the World Cup in 1998, said: “It was almost Zidanesque.
“Payet was on the field with a lot of great players but they all wanted to give him the ball.
“They all wanted to give him the ball because they knew he was going to make something happen.”
It was a moment of redemption for Payet, who only returned to the national team in March after a ninemonth absence.
And Henry added: “A lot of people often say players don’t care, they only think about what comes with the game. But you saw a guy that cares about his nation and cares about his football.”