Andy Carroll insists West Ham United’s squad will not allow Dimitri Payet to destroy the club’s season.

Payet is refusing to play for the London Stadium side and has been the subject of multiple bids from former club Marseille.

The Hammers have won their last two matches in the 29-year-old’s absence and Carroll, who has scored three times in those matches, says the positive response shows the unity at West Ham.

“Our response just proves what the lads have got deep down in themselves,” he said after Saturday’s 3-1 win over Middlesbrough.

“It proves our passion for football, for the manager and for the club. It’s everything. No one player is going to destroy everything.

“The fight the lads have and the fans standing behind us has all been great. It’s a very tight-knit group, certainly the tightest it’s been since I joined West Ham.”

With Payet’s relationship with the remainder of the West Ham squad reportedly broken beyond repair, he can only hope the club agree a sale before the end of the month.

Marseille will likely have to pay in the region of £30m to force a move as West Ham are happy to allow their star asset to remain in exile.

Carroll insists the remainder of the United squad is close and says Slaven Bilic has imbued a positive spirit in his players.

He said: “The lads have always got a smile on their faces, even when the manager has dragged us in on a Sunday morning when we don’t want to be there.

“Instead of being upset, we’re walking in smiling. It’s just a tight, tight group.”