Dimitri Payet had 'chills' after making his Marseille comeback following his acrimonious West Ham exit

Payet left West Ham for £25m this week after refusing to play for the Premier League club, and came on to make his second Marseille debut as a substitute in the 2-1 win over Lyon

Wednesday 01 February 2017 03:28 EST
Comments
Dimitri Payet waves to the Marseille fans after making his return for the Ligue 1 club
Dimitri Payet waves to the Marseille fans after making his return for the Ligue 1 club (Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Dimitri Payet said he had "chills" when he came off the bench in extra-time to help Marseille edge through 2-1 against Lyon in their Coupe de France tie at the Stade Velodrome.

The 29-year-old playmaker completed a £25million move back to his old club on Sunday after becoming unhappy at West Ham.

Payet, who had refused to play for the Premier League club as he looked to force through a transfer, heard his name chanted by the home support before kick-off.

"I found the Velodrome as I had left it," Payet said in quotes reported by L'Equipe.

"What did I feel when I returned to the field? Chills."

Marseille took the lead after 25 minutes when Rod Fanni headed in a free-kick from Maxime Lopez, but they saw defender Patrice Evra, another January signing, limp off with a hamstring problem early in the second half.

Lyon, who are fourth in Ligue 1, equalised after 64 minutes when midfielder Corentin Tolisso knocked the ball in at the far post.

Marseille coach Rudi Garcia sent Payet on to replace Florian Thauvin in the fourth minute of the first extra period.

The France international received a standing ovation from the home supporters as he took up a position on the left.

Payet made his comeback in a 2-1 Coupe de France victory over Lyon
Payet made his comeback in a 2-1 Coupe de France victory over Lyon (Getty)

Marseille found their winner after 109 minutes. Remy Cabella clipped the ball in from the right for Brazilian defender Doria to smash a close-range shot into the roof of the net and send Marseille into the last 16.

"We saw this evening that we could compete with teams like Lyon, although we should not see this as too beautiful because there is still a lot of work (to do)," Payet added.

Payet said he felt 'chills' after coming on the field at the Stade Velodrome
Payet said he felt 'chills' after coming on the field at the Stade Velodrome (Getty)

"Personally, I felt that I lacked fitness but that's normal. It will take me time because I have not played for almost a month."

PA

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in