The furious ex-Hammers star believes Payet is disrespecting club, players, and supporters alike.
Former West Ham United striker Dean Ashton has launched possibly the most incensed attack on club rebel Dimitri Payet to date, telling talkSPORT that the midfield star is “disgusting” for the way he is conducting himself towards the club and supporters who loved him.
Payet has, in reality, been too good for the Hammers since his arrival from France in the summer of 2015, being nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award last term and virtually carrying the side single-handedly at times.
His form has not quite been up to the same standard this term, and yet he has still been linked with a move awayt o numerous clubs across Europe.
In recent weeks, things have turned extremely sour, with the 29-year-old refusing to play for the club unless he is allowed to leave.
That stance has – entirely unsurprisingly – completely changed the public viewpoint on the midfielder, with the frustrations of the fans who had loved him for his first 12 months in England boiling over.
Payet is now public enemy number one at the London Stadium and his West Ham career looks unsalvageable, something which will play right into the star’s hands in terms of forcing a move away.
The manner in which he has conducted himself has attracted criticism from almost all angles, and now former Hammers striker Ashton has taken a harder shot than most at the former beloved star.
Ashton told talkSPORT: “There are lots of players that behind the scenes are trying to manufacture a move, but there is a way to do it.
“I can’t play anymore and to see the way Payet is acting, I can’t tell you how angry it makes me. He can play on and players like me who suffer injuries can’t carry on.
“West Ham love him, they absolutely adore him, they wouldn’t dream to think he would go and do this. He is so many kids’ favourite player. It is disgusting what he is doing in refusing to play.”
Ashton’s points may resonate more than the average person’s criticism. The striker had to give up the career he loved because of his failure to recover from ravaging injuries, and to see Payet treat the club with this much contempt must be near unbearable for the former striker.
Payet’s bridges are burned, and this is a story which has no happy ending – the best thing for all parties is for West Ham to offload him, trying to milk a potential buyer for all they are worth in doing so.
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