It has been four years since Dimitri Payet signed for West Ham from Marseille.
While everyone knows how things ended between player and club, the time that he did give us will ensure he is remembered for a very long time by Hammers – whether that is fondness around how he played, or disdain due to the departure.
Those behind West Ham’s Twitter account will be fully aware of this and have tweeted to mark the anniversary:
Dimitri Payet signed for us on this day in 2015.
You knew it was good when he celebrated before it even hit the net… pic.twitter.com/FZVN8TsncO
— West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) June 26, 2019
The goals shown in the video invoke so many memories of having the pleasure to watch him play.
Many fans will marvel over how his strike against Crystal Palace somehow dipped enough to go in, grin at the way he ran off before the Man United free kick had gone in and chuckle at the Accrington Stanley player who applauded him.
There are some who will never forgive him for the way he left, but there are others who want him back, especially after watching the video and remembering how he was during the final season at Upton Park.
He is now 32-years-old, which means if anything is ever going to happen it will have to be very soon, though that likely only adds to the sense of wanting his return.
A selection of Twitter reaction to the video, including posts from longing West Ham fans, can be seen below:
Bring him home
— Jay (@JayCorb12568283) June 26, 2019
Announce payet
— Ben (@BenCarter_) June 26, 2019
Probably the best player I’ve seen wear the shirt, did the fans and the club dirty though but I’d still probably take him back
— LDNDONN KH (@WaveyDonn_) June 26, 2019
And he signs for us again today?
— Jace De Souza (@desouza1994) June 26, 2019
Hope this is the club putting the feelers out to see how people would react to him coming back.
Do it.
— Rick Galer (@WHUricky55) June 26, 2019
You can always bring him back
— Osh (@Batak1967) June 26, 2019
I hate him, but I could love him again if he was back in a Hammers shirt. #ficklefan
— Andrew Richards (@Andyrichards62) June 26, 2019
what I would do to take this man back
— Tom Deal (@thomas_deal11) June 26, 2019