Former France and West Ham star Payet announces his retirement, ending a career marked by dazzling skill and recent off-field controversy.
Former France international Dimitri Payet announced his retirement from professional football on Sunday.
The 38-year-old made the emotional announcement during a live interview on French television channel Ligue1+.
“It’s raining today, and that’s no coincidence,” said the Reunion-born attacker, who won 38 caps for his country.
Payet told the broadcaster he was stepping away because he did not want to be part of “a project where I can’t give 100 percent”.
He became a cult hero in the English Premier League during a dazzling 18-month spell with West Ham United.
In 60 appearances for the Hammers, he scored 15 goals and provided 22 assists, renowned for his set-piece mastery and dribbling.
His club career also included spells at Saint-Etienne, Nantes, Lille, and Marseille in France, followed by a move to Brazil’s Vasco da Gama.
Payet has been without a club since leaving the Rio de Janeiro side in July last year.
His two-year stint in Brazil was overshadowed by an off-pitch scandal involving allegations from a woman of “physical and psychological violence”.
According to Brazilian press reports citing a police document, Payet admitted to an extramarital affair but denied the abuse claims.
The case is scheduled to go to trial in Brazil.