West Ham star Dimitri Payet gets special treatment from boss Slaven Bilic in training to avoid burning out the French midfielder

• e-mail

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has been giving Dimitri Payet special treatment in training, including extra days off in a bid to ensure his best player is not burned out.

Bilic had Payet in his office on Monday to talk after their game against Liverpool amid speculation over his future ahead of the January transfer window.

The 48-year-old said on Tuesday that Payet told him he is ready for the rest of the year and only focussed on West Ham, as they prepare to play Burnley at the London Stadium.

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has been giving Dimitri Payet special treatment in training

Bilic had Payet in his office to talk after the Liverpool win amid speculation over his future

The London Stadium boss has allowed his best player extra days off to stave off burn out

Their meeting was held the day after the 29-year-old scored a fine free-kick at Anfield, with Bilic having handed Payet an additional day off in the build-up to that 2-2 draw.

'It is a team sport but sometimes you have to treat individuals differently,' Bilic said 'It depends on how much they play or if they have any private issues.

'He had a very demanding season like everybody else last year then went straight to the Euros.

'He didn't have a proper rest or pre-season. Last week against Liverpool he had one extra day off when he was in the gym and he was on the massage table doing a different kind of training.

The Irons squad undertook a late afternoon training session at the London Stadium on Tuesday

'That is the kind of thing you can give him to avoid the possibility of fatigue and overloading. We have got to do that.

'It is not just Dimitri, we do that with other players as well when you feel they are tired and have to change their routine a bit.'

Bilic held his pre-match press conference at the London Stadium on Tuesday, where their players took part in a training session at 5pm.

On the meeting with Payet, who has been linked with Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, Bilic said: 'I spoke to him on Monday after Liverpool in my office.

Aaron Cresswell (centre) leads his team-mates in a light jog on the London Stadium turf

If the football's on, it's on

• Live tables
• Fixtures
• Scores

• Premier League
• Premier League
• Championship
• League One
• League Two
• Scottish Premiership
• Scottish Div 1
• Scottish Div 2
• Scottish Div 3
• Ligue 1
• Serie A
• La Liga
• Bundesliga

• More tables
• More fixtures
• More scores

'He's very motivated, is up for the schedule in the rest of the year and is acting and talking about only about West Ham.

'We spoke for 10 minutes in my office. It wasn't like, "Come to my office, we have to sit down, we have to talk about something in particular". I wanted to share some ideas with him and that was it.'

The nature of English football sees Premier League managers often criticised and constantly under threat.

On that, Bilic said: 'I am well used to all the pressures. Before, you didn't know if a guy from New Zealand was criticising you, but now you are aware.

'You know what people are saying in Kuala Lumpur straight after you have made a decision.'

Andy Carroll shows off his taped-up eye after clashing with Loris Karius in Sunday's game

As a member of the Premier League managerial smoker's club, Bilic insists that is not his vice to cope with the criticism.

'I smoke, OK, yes, only five cigarettes a day,' Bilic said. 'But I don't have any vices. You don't need vices.

'You need what is crucial: to have a good family, especially your first ring. They are your people, it doesn't help a lot but it is crucial to have a stable base, then everything is easier.'

Winston Reid discusses a training drill with midfielders Mark Noble and Havard Nordtveit