Dimitri Payet says ‘I’m staying at West Ham, I love the club’ ahead of their Olympic Stadium debut

West Ham United's Dimitri Payet. Reuters / Carl Recine

London // France playmaker Dimitri Payet handed West Ham United a huge boost ahead of the new Premier League season by telling the club he is "100 per cent staying" with the Hammers.

Payet had been linked with a move away from West Ham after backing up a superb debut season in England with several impressive performances for his country as France reached the final of Euro 2016.

But the 29 year old, who signed a new long-term contract through until 2021 in February, insisted he was fully committed to staying at West Ham.

"I've heard about all the interest and I'm flattered. But I love West Ham," Payet told The Sun.

“We had a fantastic season and I can’t wait to play in the Olympic Stadium.

“I’m 100 per cent staying at West Ham, I love the club. I can tell the Hammers fans that.”

Payet scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists and was named the club’s player of the year as West Ham finished seventh, their highest league finish since the 2001-02 season.

On Monday, West Ham co-chairman David Gold told the BBC that potentail suitors would have to pay at least £50million ($65 million, 58 million euros) to prise Payet away from the club.

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West Ham’s first match at the Olympic Stadium will be against either Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus or Slovenian side Domzale.

The Hammers on Friday found out their opponents in the Europa League third qualifying round when the draw was made in Nyon, Switzerland.

Slaven Bilic’s side are taking on Italian giants Juventus in a glamour friendly to mark the opening of their new 60,000-seater ground in Stratford on Sunday, August 7.

But the Hammers’ first fixture at the Olympic Stadium will instead be against the side who come out of their second-round qualifier, which is currently poised at 1-1 after the first leg.

The third qualifying round ties will be played on Thursday, July 28 and Thursday, August 4.

West Ham were forced into playing a qualifier after being pipped for sixth place in the Premier League by Southampton on the final day of last season.

They featured in the qualifying stages last season by virtue of the Fair Play League, but Bilic fielded youngsters and fringe players as they bowed out to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the third round.

Bilic has vowed to take this season’s competition more seriously, however, and has already bolstered his squad with Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli, Gokhan Tore and Ashley Fletcher.

Hibernian will take on German side Hertha Berlin if the Edinburgh outfit can overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Danish outfit Brondby.

City rivals Hearts, whose first leg in Malta ended 0-0 against Birkirkara, will be aiming to set up a tie against Russian side Krasnodar.

Aberdeen, who are 3-0 up against Latvian side Ventspils, will face Maribor of Slovenia or Bulgarian side Levski Sofia, providing the Dons avoid trouble in their second leg.

Northern Irish side Cliftonville will take on Spartak Moscow if they can come back from a 3-2 first-leg defeat against Cypriots AEK Larnaca.

Cork City, who are tied at 1-1 with Swedish side Hacken, have been drawn against either Belgium’s Genk or Podgorica of Montenegro.

If Welsh minnows Connah’s Quay come from 1-0 down against Vojvodina they could face Ireland’s St Patrick’s Athletic, who drew 1-1 with Dinamo Minsk in their first leg.

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