Tuesday 23 February 2016 08:41, UK
James Collins says West Ham will need to wrap Dimitri Payet in "cotton wool" to ensure he is fit to feature for the remainder of the season.
Payet joined the Hammers from Marseille for an initial £10.75m last summer and has been an instrumental figure for manager Slaven Bilic this campaign, scoring nine times and providing six assists.
The 28-year-old missed nearly two months of the season after sustaining an ankle ligament injury in November, with West Ham winning only one match during his absence.
His outstanding form on his return from injury saw him rewarded with a new five-and-a-half-year deal earlier this month and, with West Ham pushing for a top-six finish in the Premier League as well as the FA Cup, Collins is well aware of the importance of keeping the France midfielder fit.
"He is on fire and has been tremendous," Collins said. "When he is in the mood to play, there are not many better in the league.
"It is unbelievable what he does. When he is on it, I haven't played with or against anyone better.
"He is a magic player and the West Ham fans are seeing the best of it.
"We have to wrap him up in cotton wool and get him out on the pitch as much as we can."
Payet once again demonstrated his importance to West Ham in their 5-1 FA Cup fifth-round victory against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park last Sunday, netting twice and providing a superb through ball for Emmanuel Emenike to score.
"He just doesn't bring what he does on the pitch, he is a great lad to have around the place," Collins added.
"The fans adore him for bringing that sort of football. It is a massive scalp to have him sign on for as long as he has.
"Everyone thinks the same. I've just signed a new deal as well. You want to be part of a club that is moving forward.
"Everything is going in the right direction with the stadium, the way we are playing football, the signings we are making.
"Obviously a good cup run makes us attractive for players to come too."
