"?French boss Didier Deschamps has publically come out to praise Dimitri Payet's impact on Les Bleu's, telling the "?Evening Standard 'every time he touches the ball, something happens.'
The West Ham star has been on scintillating form since his move to the Hammers last summer, winning the club's Player of the Year award, and Deschamps is confident that the frenchman will have a important role to play in his squad, after Payet scored yet another superb 30-yard free kick to help beat Cameroon 3-2 in their penultimate game before the tournament: "Every time Dimitri Payet touches the ball, there is something happening."?
"He has quality from free-kicks, corner. It is something important.
"And he is very important."
However, Deschamps has not always been seen to favour the former Marseille man in his selections in the build up to these European Championships, only selecting him for international friendlies as recently as March, leaving him out of the squad previously for nine months.
90th minute, and @whufc_official's Dimitri Payet scores a stunning free-kick to win the game for France #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/dh2fVYkbIz
It appears that Payet's domestic form has paved the way for a possible U-Turn however, with the 29-year-old now looking set to start in the first game of the tournament, having started against Cameroon, despite Deschamps having a full squad to choose from, barring Antoine Griezmann, who had played in the Champions League final for Atletico Madrid last weekend.
Payet scored nine goals in 30 league appearances at Upton Park this season, and following a potentially successful summer with his French team mates, will be looking to improve on that tally at their new home at the Olympic Stadium under club hero and manager Slaven Bilic.