Dimitri Payet could have been turning out in the white of Tottenham rather than West Ham’s claret if Spurs had taken the advice of David Ginola.

Slaven Bilic’s summer signing has immediately adapted to the Premier League after his £10 million move from Marseille, weighing in with six goals and four assists to help guide West Ham to seventh place.

But the 28-year-old, who recently became the highest paid player at Upton Park when he signed a new deal, could have moved to Spurs earlier in his career whilst at Lille, according to another Frenchman who set the Premier League alight during his time there.

“I had a discussion one night with Spurs players, former players and chairman Daniel Levy about French players coming through and who would be good (for Tottenham),” Ginola told Talksport.

“And I said, 'well there's one out there right now, Dimitri Payet.' This was a few years ago when he was still playing at Lille, and I told him Payet would suit English football.

“I'm not surprised to see him being successful at West Ham. He had a good spell at Marseille when he left Lille, but it wasn't the best of Dimitri we saw. He's improved since he signed for West Ham but his very best is yet to come. He could have been a Spurs player.”

In Pictures: Norwich vs West Ham 8 show all In Pictures: Norwich vs West Ham 1/8 Captain fantastic Mark Noble celebrates after scoring West Ham's equaliser. 2/8 Hammers take on Canaries Check out all the latest action from Carrow Road... (Stephen Pond/Getty Images 3/8 Cresswell presses well Aaron Cresswell closes down Norwich forward Nathan Redmond. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) 4/8 Up and at 'em! Mark Noble rises high to win a header. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) 5/8 No way past Ogbonna Angelo Ogbonna blocks Cameron Jerome in the opening stages. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) 6/8 Carrow Road battle Enner Valencia competes with Timm Klose. (Stephen Pond/Getty Images) 7/8 Naughty Obiang Pedro Obiang gets a yellow card in a frustrating opening 45 minutes. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) 8/8 Poor Bilic West Ham were unable to make a breakthrough in the first half. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) 1/8 Captain fantastic Mark Noble celebrates after scoring West Ham's equaliser. 2/8 Hammers take on Canaries Check out all the latest action from Carrow Road... (Stephen Pond/Getty Images 3/8 Cresswell presses well Aaron Cresswell closes down Norwich forward Nathan Redmond. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) 4/8 Up and at 'em! Mark Noble rises high to win a header. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) 5/8 No way past Ogbonna Angelo Ogbonna blocks Cameron Jerome in the opening stages. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) 6/8 Carrow Road battle Enner Valencia competes with Timm Klose. (Stephen Pond/Getty Images) 7/8 Naughty Obiang Pedro Obiang gets a yellow card in a frustrating opening 45 minutes. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) 8/8 Poor Bilic West Ham were unable to make a breakthrough in the first half. (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Payet has earned acclaim from West Ham fans and neutrals alike for his skilful play and eye for a killer pass, traits Ginola believes would have helped him fit in at White Hart Lane.

He said: “I saw in him the flair you associate with Tottenham players, the flair game of Spurs' history. Dimitri Payet was fitting pretty well in that image of what a Spurs player should be.

“It's amazing to see him playing so well and I'm just pleased to see I wasn't wrong. I was absolutely right to see him as a great asset for English football.”