Slaven Bilic has wished Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet well in Sunday’s Euro 2016 final.
The West Ham United manager has watched as the French midfielder has become one of the stars of his home tournament, first from the ITV studio in Paris and latterly from the Hammers’ US Tour.
Bilic confirmed that the squad would take a break from their busy pre-season schedule to sit down at the Club’s North Carolina base to watch Payet in action on Sunday afternoon.
“I want to wish our Hammer of the Year, Dimitri Payet, the very best of luck in the final,” Bilic told whufc.com. “Dimi has been one of the best players at the tournament and now he and compatriots have the final against Portugal to look forward to in Paris.
“We will watch the final on TV from North Carolina and naturally we are all right behind Dimi and hope he is celebrating at the final whistle.
“As a coach, I think it will be an interesting game, as France have the pressure of being the host nation, while Cristiano Ronaldo will be desperate to add an international tournament medal to his collection. Let’s see what happens!”
The West Ham United manager has watched as the French midfielder has become one of the stars of his home tournament, first from the ITV studio in Paris and latterly from the Hammers’ US Tour.
Bilic confirmed that the squad would take a break from their busy pre-season schedule to sit down at the Club’s North Carolina base to watch Payet in action on Sunday afternoon.
“I want to wish our Hammer of the Year, Dimitri Payet, the very best of luck in the final,” Bilic told whufc.com. “Dimi has been one of the best players at the tournament and now he and compatriots have the final against Portugal to look forward to in Paris.
“We will watch the final on TV from North Carolina and naturally we are all right behind Dimi and hope he is celebrating at the final whistle.
“As a coach, I think it will be an interesting game, as France have the pressure of being the host nation, while Cristiano Ronaldo will be desperate to add an international tournament medal to his collection. Let’s see what happens!”
We will watch the final on TV from North Carolina and naturally we are all right behind Dimi and hope he is celebrating at the final whistle
Out in the United States, the Hammers touched down in North Carolina on Saturday afternoon, eating an energy-boosting meal before heading to WakeMed Soccer Park for a muscle-loosening training session.
With temperatures in the 80s – and a Carolina RailHawks camera crew – greeting the squad on their arrival at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the players will need to adapt to weather that is hotter and more humid than that which they experienced in Seattle.
Bilic said the players would nevertheless benefit from training in such conditions, provided they keep hydrated and recover well between sessions.
“The facilities we have used at the Seattle Seahawks’ VMAC training complex have been brilliant and now we are in brilliant surroundings again in North Carolina,” he confirmed.
“One of the reasons we have travelled to America is the opportunity to use top facilities like this in an environment where the players can work without distraction. This is a benefit that should not be undervalued.
“The players have worked hard this past week, training twice a day and also playing their opening match of pre-season against the Sounders on Tuesday evening.
“We will be working hard for the next few days and have a match with Carolina RailHawks on Tuesday evening, which will be the next stage in our pre-season.”
A sell-out crowd is expected for that fixture, and Bilic knows the value of presenting his Club to a new and ever-growing football market.
“The Tour is also an opportunity to show West Ham United to a new part of the world,” he continued. “There were supporters at the game from all over the United States, and also plenty of fans who travelled from other countries to watch the game.
“The game is more international than ever before and it is important for every club to travel to different places to show what they are all about. You will see that every Premier League club is travelling overseas in pre-season, including many to America."
With temperatures in the 80s – and a Carolina RailHawks camera crew – greeting the squad on their arrival at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the players will need to adapt to weather that is hotter and more humid than that which they experienced in Seattle.
Bilic said the players would nevertheless benefit from training in such conditions, provided they keep hydrated and recover well between sessions.
“The facilities we have used at the Seattle Seahawks’ VMAC training complex have been brilliant and now we are in brilliant surroundings again in North Carolina,” he confirmed.
“One of the reasons we have travelled to America is the opportunity to use top facilities like this in an environment where the players can work without distraction. This is a benefit that should not be undervalued.
“The players have worked hard this past week, training twice a day and also playing their opening match of pre-season against the Sounders on Tuesday evening.
“We will be working hard for the next few days and have a match with Carolina RailHawks on Tuesday evening, which will be the next stage in our pre-season.”
A sell-out crowd is expected for that fixture, and Bilic knows the value of presenting his Club to a new and ever-growing football market.
“The Tour is also an opportunity to show West Ham United to a new part of the world,” he continued. “There were supporters at the game from all over the United States, and also plenty of fans who travelled from other countries to watch the game.
“The game is more international than ever before and it is important for every club to travel to different places to show what they are all about. You will see that every Premier League club is travelling overseas in pre-season, including many to America."