Diego Forlan: Dimitri Payet’s saga at West Ham not good but there are many versions of the truth in football

The Frenchman's family are said to have not settled in London, which makes it understandable Payet would want to return to France to make them happy. But going on strike is not the way to go about things.

Dimitri Payet of West Ham United passes the ball during the Premier League match against Everton at Goodison Park on October 30, 2016 in Liverpool, England. Stu Forster / Getty Images

Diego Forlan writes a weekly column for The National, appearing each Friday. The former Manchester United, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid striker has been the top scorer in Europe twice and won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup. Forlan's column is written with the assistance of European football correspondent Andy Mitten.

I understand why West Ham United fans are angry with Dimitri Payet. He was their best player last season – his first at the club – and one they took to their hearts.

They sang his name, they gave him their trust, they made him their hero. Of course it helped that he was scoring goals and winning matches. He looked like a top club player at West Ham, a very proud club, but not the biggest in England. He appeared to feel the same way and in February 2016 signed a new contract to stay with them until 2021, commenting at the time: “The love affair continues.”

But there is a thin line between love and hate, and love affairs can soon turn sour. Now Payet wants to leave. He says he wants to go back to Marseille, where he was also popular with supporters, before joining West Ham. Like West Ham, Marseille are famous for their passionate fans. That can be a strong pull, but Payet’s reason for wanting to go is because of family. There are a lot of people making very strong judgements without knowing all the facts.

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Taken at face value, you have to try to understand his decision, even if you do not agree with it, especially as it has also been reported that the player turned down a £500,000 a week (Dh2.2 million) offer to play in China. Payet has also said that he will earn less than he is currently being paid in London if he moves to Marseille.

It seems like Payet is trying to force the move before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Maybe he should have thought about that when he signed the five-year contract, but he wouldn’t be the first footballer to experience a change in circumstances.

I believed that I would see out my time at Atletico Madrid when I signed my final contract there, but ended up moving to Inter Milan. People change, positions change, circumstances change. It happens.

Payet’s family might have genuine reasons for wanting to return to France, they might not be settled in London. It could be any number of factors. He could be unhappy himself and making his family unhappy. Players are not robots. He also earns enough money to take a smaller offer if it means happiness.

Yet it is also difficult to take anything at face value in football, an industry where there is often more than one version of the truth, where players have versions to suit themselves, clubs tell their story to keep the fans onside and agents can play the club off against fans or do whatever it takes to get a player to move on.

Players try to force their way out using different tactics. Payet has chosen to effectively go on strike, and if any contracted player refuses to play for his team it is not a good situation for anyone.

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was critical of Payet’s stance, but 20 years ago he also left West Ham for Everton when they did not want to sell him and he was the highest paid player at the club.

I have been in dressing rooms where the situation with a player or two is awkward. In fact it is normal. Do you expect 24 men to be happy all of the time when only 11 can start matches? There are always offers flying around and players naturally get their heads turned. Wouldn’t you if you had an offer to have your money doubled tomorrow elsewhere? It does not matter if your job is not in football, for football is a job for most players. I genuinely love the game and appreciate being paid to play it, but it is still a job at the end of the day.

As much as it is good to have the fans liking you, you have to do what is right for you and your family. Leaving a club during a contract is not ideal, but that is what happens to most players, either because they are not playing or not playing well enough, like Memphis Depay or Morgan Schneiderlin, who have both left Manchester United in the past week.

Payet’s teammates have reportedly said they do not want him in the team. Maybe they feel let down that their best player has chosen not to stay with them because he can make their lives easier by helping them win matches, but even then situations can be resolved quickly. I have seen players fall out with everyone, then come back into the team slowly. I have seen players apologise and after one or two good games, people soon forget. Fans have very selective memories and would rather remember the good over the bad. Fan loyalty towards a player can be one way, too. They love Payet because he is a great player? Would they love him if he wasn’t?

The truth will come out in time. If Payet goes to China then the fans will have been proved right. They will be glad that some sprayed graffiti and sang new songs about him which are not complimentary.

But what if he does go to Marseille for his own personal reasons, and takes a pay cut too? Suddenly the foundations for those criticisms are weakened. What if he goes for a profit on the near £11 million West Ham paid for him, benefiting the club financially. All the fans will be left with are memories of some great performances and goals, but is it not worth having those memories?

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