France are England’s potential Euro 2016 quarter-final opponents – as Dimitri Payet warns: I can get better
The West Ham wizard has lit up the tournament, scoring twice
DIMITRI PAYET has warned France’s rivals: I can still get better.
The West Ham wizard has lit up Euro 2016, scoring in the hosts' first two matches in the tournament.
But Payet, 29, believes he can improve further – harshly criticising himself for hitting the crossbar in the 0-0 draw against Switzerland in the final group game.
He said: “I can still get better. If I was going to picky, then I would say to myself that my shot that hit the bar against the Swiss shouldn’t have hit the woodwork – it should have gone in.”
It seems hard to believe now, but Payet’s place in the French squad was in doubt only a few months prior to this summer’s Feast of Football.
And the ex-Marseille ace explained his meteoric rise was the reason behind his tears after netting the last-gasp winner against Romania in the tournament’s curtain raiser.
Payet, who was shortlisted for the PFA player of the year this season, said: “I’ve come a long way.
“A few months ago, I was far from certain to play in the tournament. I’ve worked very hard and had a really good season with my club, despite having had to sit out two months through injury.
“I think it was because of all the hard work that the emotions came through when I scored.”
Despite Payet’s success, he insists he is still not France’s best player.
Speaking to EURO2016.com, he said: “No, it’s not me.
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“People will still talk about Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba. We saw them in the game against Switzerland, and they are the ones to be counted on.
“We need those two players. They can guide us through and deep into the competition.”
And Payet feels France – who could conceivably meet England in the quarter-finals – have an advantage thanks to their coach Didier Deschamps, who won the competition as well as the World Cup as a player.
The winger added: “The fact (Deschamps) has won everything going is the advantage that he brings us.
“He knows exactly what it takes to win, as he has been there before and we know how precious his advice is, and how much more so that will be as the tournament goes on.”