 He played in the youth team eliminated from the 1978 FA Youth Cup by First Division club Coventry City's youths only after a replay, and appeared in the first team.Released by Cheltenham, Payne worked as a postman and played for Ledbury Town of the West Midlands (Regional) League until moving to the Netherlands to join Cambuur for a fee of £7,000.After spending seven years playing in the Netherlands, first as a forward, then settling in midfield and becoming a fans' favourite, Payne returned to England, signing for Stockport County in 1988.