Forward Madison FC has signed 25-year-old Stephen Payne, pending league and federation approval. The 5-foot-10 defender is natively from Birmingham, Alabama, although his family is of Nigerian descent. Last season, Payne concluded his first year playing professionally in the US, where he helped the Richmond Kickers become the 2022 USL League One Regular Season Champions.
Head Coach Matt Glaeser explained Payne’s significance as a defender last season. “He had a strong campaign with Richmond last season playing as a right back. We see him taking on a similar role as a right sided defender. Payne has a lot of versatility and speed. He can serve and defend… [we] really like his tenacity,” Glaeser said.
Payne’s playing career was elevated when he played for UCLA’s men soccer team during the 2015 season. The defender made 13 appearances and scored a goal for the Bruins before heading over to Europe for trials. Payne signed with a fourth-division Portuguese club and after a year on the reserve team, he made the first team for Varzim S.C. in the 2018-19 LigaPro season. There, Payne played in 14 league matches and scored one crucial goal against FC Porto B to break a draw in the 88th minute.
From 2019-2021, Payne spent brief stints with lower division Portuguese teams, including Portimonense S.C., C.D Mafra, and Vilaverdense F.C.. In 2022, Payne decided to come back over to the US to play for the Richmond Kickers. With Richmond, Payne recorded 48 clearances, 9 blocks, 25 interceptions, and 35 tackles in 28 regular season matches.
