The French midfielder sparked controversy during the January transfer window as he set about forcing through a move away from London Stadium.
Payet reveals why he left West Ham
West Ham were initially reluctant to bow to his demands, having offered him a Premier League stage on which to raise his profile.
They eventually sanctioned a return to Marseille, with Payet still of the opinion that he was stagnating in England and in need of a fresh start in order to keep himself in Didier Deschamps’ France plans.
He told Canal+: “No, it was not difficult to leave the Premier League.
“Already, I’ve come back to Marseille, a place I know well, I like the coach, with a new project.
“I think that with West Ham it was more complicated for me, it happened naturally, there was urgency to leave West Ham.
WATCH: Payet scores facing wrong way
“Given my level of play and the way it went, I was afraid of losing my place in Team France and being selected less.
“Yes I have regrets, in so much as I’ll never forget all the love the club and the people gave me. Afterwards, though, I really can’t hold it against them to have reacted like that. I think they hate me as much as they loved me.”
Payet has netted three times for Marseille since returning to his homeland, with his most recent effort a trademark free-kick in a 1-1 draw with Dijon.
