West Ham United star Dimitri Payet has revealed he had words with Slaven Bilic prior to joining the club.

The 28-year-old attacking midfielder signed with the Hammers from Marseille in a £10.7million deal in the summer but says he sought assurances from his manager-to-be regarding the game style of the East London club.

West Ham had been known for taking a more aerial route under Sam Allardyce and Payet simply wanted to know if he would be of use if that play was set to continue at Upton Park.

"I said to the coach (Bilic) before signing: 'If I come and the ball is passing above my head, I am not going to be a lot of use'," he told L'Equipe.

"He assured me of the project he wanted to put in place. We have quality up front. We still find it difficult to play in some matches but we are getting better."

Payet's move to the Premier League has already been a success with the Frenchman having already scored four goals and provide three assists in eight outings for the sixth-placed Hammers.