West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic believes Dimitri Payet is the type of player all the big European clubs want.

The 28-year-old French playmaker has started life in the Premier League in fine fashion with three goals and two assists in his first six league appearances for the Hammers.

Payet's brilliant beginning has helped catapult the Hammers up to third position on the table while also prompting words of praise from Bilic who suggests he is in the same echelon as Manchester City star David Silva.

"He's fared really well," said the West Ham boss.

"I've been saying all the time that he's the kind of players most Premier League clubs in Europe are trying to get – whether that's Silva, or Payet, or that one or that one.

"He's a special player. He was special at Marseille.

"He was a deep playmaker which is probably the most difficult position to play in football. We're going to do everything to protect him but also to give him responsibility to continue like this and be even better."