Darren Randolph believes it is "massive" that West Ham keep hold of Dimitri Payet this summer following his excellent performances for France at the European Championship.
Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Randolph saw Payet's qualities from a different perspective when he played against France in a 2-1 round of 16 defeat.
Randolph will be cheering on Payet's France in the wake of that loss and hopes he will get to play alongside him again next season for the Hammers.
"For me, Dimitri is different class," he said. "You've seen it in the tournament and against us, he's a match-winner and he makes things happen. He's a special player. That's why he's sought after around the world and it's obvious he could cause England problems. He causes everyone problems.
"I'll be watching and I'll be cheering him on. I'm certainly supporting France now for the rest of the tournament.
"He came up to me at the end of the match to see if I was all right. That was a nice touch. I went to the changing room to find him afterwards and we spoke for about five or 10 minutes. He told me to keep my chin up and I wished him luck for the rest of the tournament.
"It's massive for [West Ham] to keep him. I really hope he stays -- but maybe the manager and the owners aren't as happy as some to see him doing so well in France."
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said Payet would "improve any side in Europe" leading to speculation that clubs may target the former Marseille man.