Julius OkorieSuper Falcons midfielder, Toni Payne, has taken her career to the next level after successfully completing a move to Everton.
The former Sevilla of Spain ace who is part of the Nigerian squad to the Olympics, which kicks off in a couple of days, sealed the move after seven years sojourn with the Spanish women club where she 169 appearances with 30 goals to her credit.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPayne who joined Sevilla in 2018 from Ajax Ladies, made her league debut for Sevilla against Albacete on 9 September 2018. She scored her first league goal against Rayo Vallecano on 16 September 2018 and never looked back afterwards
Toni Payne who was born in Birmingham, Alabama, USA 29 years ago, started her football career at a College club, Duke Blue Devils women’s soccer.
In 2017, she made her big move by joining the Dutch women’s club, Ajax where she spent just a season before she moved to the Spanish side, Sevilla in 2018.
After playing 169 league games in which she scored 30 goals, Toni Payne who can play as a midfielder and a forward resolved it was time to move on.
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After completing her move to Everton Friday, Payne told Everton TV that she had always dreamt of playing football in the United Kingdom.
“I’m super excited to be an Everton player,” Payne said.
“It’s been my dream to play in the UK and such a strong league like the WSL.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to play at a club like Everton with so much history in football.
“Now was the right moment for me to look for another challenge to push myself.
“It’s going to be different and new, and I’m really happy about my decision.”
Payne who played for United States junior teams it will be recalled announced her intention to switch international career to Nigeria in 2019 and has since contributed immensely to the team since joining the Super Falcons in 2021.
On his first signing of the transfer window, the team’s head coach, Brian Sørensen, told evertonfc.com: “I’m extremely happy to bring Toni to the club.
“She is exactly the type of player we need. I’m 100 percent confident Toni can fit right into our team and into this league because she has a wealth of experience, not only from Spain but also for the Nigeria national team.
“She can play multiple positions and is an intelligent player who is really fast. She is a player without any injury history, too, so we are confident she will be a big success for us.
“The way we play, it’s very dynamic. We don’t operate with a typical front three; it’s more about filling the right spaces and having the ability to create opportunities. That’s where she will fit in very well.
“Toni can play across the front line and in behind, but she can also do combination play and drop into midfield.
“All of these qualities make her a great asset, and she will be an important player for us.”
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
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