Dimirti Payet is widely regarded as one of the best free-kick takers in Premier League history, but a forgotten teammate has been ranked even higher.
Payet only played in England for two seasons from 2015 to 2017, but he absolutely lit up the Premier League with a number of memorable moments.
Among many outrageous moments of skill, the Frenchman scored 15 goals, including five unstoppable free kicks.
Payet cemented his reputation as a figurehead in France with Marseille, but former Hammers team-mate Carl Jenkinson fondly remembers his time in London.
“He was very, very good, technically very good, his free kick and shot taking was one of the best I’ve ever seen,” Jenkinson told talkSPORT.
However, the former Arsenal man has seen someone better, including at West Ham.
Jenkinson continued: “It’s funny, there was another player on loan at West Ham called Nene and he was the best free-kick taker I’ve ever seen.
“He played a few games, not a lot, but he had a great career playing for PSG, but I remember sitting there in training and watching him take about 20 free-kicks and every single one over the wall and into the top corner .I’ve never seen anything like it.
“He was horrible from free kicks, I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Nene spent just one season at West Ham in 2014/15, making just eight appearances and failing to find the back of the net.
However, his time in England in no way takes away from his legendary career in France and Brazil, where he still plays today.
In fact, Nene recently became the oldest goalscorer in Brazil’s top flight when he scored for Juventude against Internacional on August 15, aged 43 years and 26 days.
Before that, he was a permanent member of Paris Saint-Germain from 2009 to 2012, playing alongside legends such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, David Beckham and Thiago Silva.
Despite Payet and Nene’s ability to play dead balls, there is still one midfielder Jenkinson values above the two.
“Santi Cazorla, he was just mustard,” said the full-back when asked about the best midfielder he played with.
“With both feet, the ball stuck to his feet, he executed angles with left and right.
“He was a pretty small guy, he was small, he wasn’t quick, but you just couldn’t take the ball away from him, he was that good.”