West Ham defender Sam Byram has brushed off the absence of Dimitri Payet and says the Hammers' second half display in their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace paints a picture of a united group.
Slaven Bilic’s team have been in the news for some time due to their star player Payet, who has expressed his wish to leave the club during the winter transfer window.
The Frenchman was left out of the squad for West Ham’s match against London rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday, and still Bilic’s men won the game 3-0.
Byram, who returned to action during the Hammers’ match against the Eagles after missing 13 Premier League games due to a hamstring injury, said his side have proved that they play as a team and have great depth in their squad.
The former Leeds United talent pointed to the display in the second 45 minutes at the London Stadium at the weekend as real evidence West Ham are united on the pitch.
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“There’s been a lot in the news over the last week but we’re a team and we stick together”, Byram told the club’s official website
“We showed on Saturday, particularly in the second half, that we can pull together and that we’ve got a great squad”, added the 23-year-old.
West Ham are currently placed 12th in the Premier League table and have 25 points from 21 games.
The Hammers will take on Middlesbrough in their next encounter and will be eyeing winning over Aitor Karanka’s men to rise further in the table.
