Ryan Payne

Right Wingback - Free Agent
12 Feb 2028
Saturday
Process
Overview Personal Contract News 2 Transfers Relations Events 18 Awards Matches History

Marked for Ryan Payne

42 Edition

The Southern United Herald

17 May 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market17 May 2027

Alex Stamatelopoulos asks to leave Southern United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad17 May 2027

Samukelo Mlaba in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Southern United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad17 May 2027

Ryan Payne has improved at 24, which nobody expected

Careers are supposed to plateau and then decline, and the players who ignore that are always the ones who were listening on the training ground. 3 points of it, over months, at an age where the direction normally only goes one way.

In brief

Back issues
7 Edition

The Southern United Herald

14 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad14 Sep 2026

Samukelo Mlaba is a better footballer than he was

Not a run of form — an actual step up, held for months. At 23 he is doing things at this level he could not do at the start of the season, and the coaching staff will tell you exactly which of them.

Market14 Sep 2026

Southern United turn down Waitakere United for Noah Barbarouses

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Squad14 Sep 2026

Tempers go at Southern United

Alex Sutton was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad14 Sep 2026

Ryan Payne has improved at 24, which nobody expected

Careers are supposed to plateau and then decline, and the players who ignore that are always the ones who were listening on the training ground. 3 points of it, over months, at an age where the direction normally only goes one way.

Loan watch14 Sep 2026

Owen Rufer counts the days

“I watch every Southern United game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Waitakere United runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.

Squad14 Sep 2026

Alex Nelson gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief