Morgan Amalfitano frozen out at West Ham after 'giving Slaven Bilic attitude'

Bilic is known as one of football’s feistier characters, both on the pitch and standing on the touchline, and has reaffirmed that belief in his latest bust-up with Frenchman Amalfitano.

West Ham’s new boss was reportedly involved in a furious training ground clash after Bilic questioned Amalfitano’s reasoning for missing a team meeting in front of the Hammers squad.

The midfielder supposedly took exception to being called out in front of his team-mates and, according to the Mirror, ‘gave the manager attitude’ when responding to the manager’s questions.

A fuming Bilic reacted by banning Amalfitano from the club’s first-team training ground at Chadwell Heath in Essex, sending the 30-year-old to train with the development squad at nearby Rush Green – home of the Under-21s and Under-18s.

Amalfitano had been involved in West Ham’s first four games of the season, but has been omitted from the matchday squad for their last three matches and was a notable absentee from The Hammers’ open day at Upton Park.

The midfielder is no stranger to controversy in east London, having been brandished “unprofessional” by former boss Sam Allardyce after being booked and then shown a straight red card in just nine minutes during an FA Cup clash against West Brom in February.