AND WILL BE CULT HERO HAMMER

keeper said: “He is up there, for sure, because he’s a gamechanger.

“Against Southampton, the first goal he scored wasn’t like a clear chance, he just decided to have a go and, with his qualities, he is always able to produce something special. “We’re happy to have him.” Things went sour between Payet and West Ham when the Reunion-born star agitated for a move back to Marseille. And Cresswell knows that, if Anderson continues performing the way he has been doing, then bigger clubs will start to take note.

He added: “That’s always the way with football. Anyone who is doing well, there’s always talk and always rumours.

“But if you ask him, he’s happy. He’s only just arrived.”

West Ham’s victory at Southampton meant they were ninth at the halfway point — no mean feat given the way they began the season.

Cresswell, who captained the side for the first time, with Mark Noble on the bench, added: “It was a tough start and, obviously, losing the first four, we were playing catch-up straight away.

“The pressure was on the manager and us to perform. But you look at our position now, where we’ve won five out of the last six, it’s 27 points after 19 games and that’s halfway through the season.

“So we really have to kick on again – and not just because we’ve got a good couple of weeks.

“But because we want to progress and we have to look forward and try to nick in for the Europa League spot.”