Didier Deschamps hails France matchwinner Dimitri Payet

Former Manchester United left-back Evra watched on as the Hammers midfield star turned a disappointing draw into a dream start for the hosts in Friday’s curtain-raiser, hitting a stunning 89th-minute victor to secure a 2-1 victory over Romania.

Payet played chief tormentor at the Stade de France as he set up Olivier Giroud for the opening goal after the break and then curled a superb left-footer into the top corner of the net with one minute left after Bogdan Stancu had equalised for Romania.

But the France coach, who captained his country to glory at the 1998 World Cup and at Euro 2000, recalled the 29-year-old after his stunning debut season at Upton Park following a move from Marseille.

“I was the first to be caught by surprise by this news”, De Gea said.

Juventus fullback Evra “I think he will get even better – I will pray for it. I wouldn’t have thought at the start of the season that I’d be here, there was some pressure on arriving at the stadium but I came to enjoy myself”.

Lloris was forced into a crucial save in the first half of the contest as Romania took the game to the hosts in the early stages.

However, the impressive Payet, who had been behind nearly every France opportunity, was on hand to save the day.

However, Giroud answered most of his critics on the 57th minute, as he brilliantly headed in a cross from Payet while under vast pressure from Romania goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu. “It’s quite easy in football when you can bang it in the top corner – it solves quite a lot of problems!”

After the match, West Ham warned off rival clubs who could be tempted to make an offer.

The hero of the evening, Dimitri Payet, was the shining light in a rather underwhelming performance from Dider Deschamps men. The crowd helped – we know how important the points were.

As well as scoring, Payet was France’s most creative player against the Romanians, providing the assist for Olivier Giroud’s opener, and setting up eight chances in total.

For Payet and France the win has provided some much-needed breathing space for a side feeling the weight of expectation of the demanding home fans.

“We had trouble getting out of the blocks”, French coach Didier Deschamps said. France also tried to score a goal, but Giroud, the Arsenal striker, missed his second good chance in the game.

France striker Olivier Giroud hopes that he has silenced the “mudslingers” who jeered him and questioned whether he’s good enough for worldwide football.