Slaven Bilic: 'Dimitri Payet as good as Luka Modric'

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has heaped praise on Dimitri Payet after his goals helped the Hammers cruise into the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

The London side crushed Championship opposition Blackburn Rovers 5-1 at Ewood Park thanks to a strike from Victor Moses and braces from Payet and Emmanuel Emineke.

"I haven't seen better players than [Payet]," Bilic told reporters after the game. "He is also doing the dirty work and on the ball he is up there with Luka Modric from the players I have trained so far.

"Dimitri is one of the best I have trained and every week I want those questions [about him] to continue, but it is hard to be surprised.

"I have to get some poetry lessons to describe his importance to us."

Payet is West Ham's top scorer so far this season, with seven in the Premier League adding to his two in the cup.