Former France striker Thierry Henry has claimed that Dimitri Payet's dominant performance in Les Bleus' 2-1 win over Romania at Euro 2016 was driven by pain and a desire to prove his doubters wrong.
The midfielder, who plays for West Ham United, struck an emphatic late winner in Friday's Group A opener at the Stade de France after goals by Olivier Giroud and Bogdan Stancu had the game on a knife edge.
Henry, a World Cup and European Championship winner with Les Bleus, told BBC Sport: "Payet thought he was going to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He was involved in every qualifying game but they took that away from him.
"Tonight you saw a man who was hurt. He was saying with that performance, 'you didn't take me to the World Cup and I am going to show you'. He wanted every single ball. You can't win a game by yourself. but that strike... oh my gosh.
"No-one is going to take what is happening to him now away from him. He showed tremendous desire. He was the one that drove the team forward."
Up next for Didier Deschamps's side is their second Group A game, against Albania on Wednesday.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Germany
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Spain
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Albania
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