West Ham United skipper Mark Noble has explained that the issues surrounding Dimitri Payet as well as the new stadium have negatively affected the Hammers.

West Ham endured a very difficult start to the season but after riding the storm, the Hammers have now managed to make a strong recovery in recent weeks.

Club captain Noble has now spoken about West Ham's struggles earlier on in the campaign and has admitted that the circus surrounding ex-teammate Payet, who pushed for a return to Olympique Marseille, as well as the move into the London Stadium affected the players' performances in a negative fashion.

Noble told talkSPORT: "The most difficult thing was that 90 per cent of what we were reading wasn't true.

"It's easy to make up stuff in the press saying we deleted Dimi [Dimitri Payet] from the WhatsApp group – it was just total nonsense.

"The players weren't really fussed. It was just the everyday stuff that the club has dealt with this year. Obviously the stadium move, the trouble in the stadium, the Dimi situation – we sort of got over that – and the Dimi situation was a massive thing and West Ham were in the press for all the wrong reasons.

"We sort of had to come to a decision which was best for the football club, the players that are here and the staff. And I thought the manager especially and the club handled it very well."

Noble added: "If you really sit down and have a look at the season and the amount of stick – some of it was warranted – that we've had, we're only three points behind West Brom who've been on an amazing season.

"We could have been in a lot better of a position. But if you listen to what everyone has said, we're having a terrible season.

"The whole stuff about the stadium and the Dimi situation was sort of a smoke screen for how well the lads have done."