Heather Payne

Heather Payne
Personal information
Full name Heather Margaret Payne[1]
Date of birth (2000-01-26) 26 January 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Ballinasloe, Ireland
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s) Forward, midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Everton
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2023 Florida State Seminoles 60 (6)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Peamount United (13)
2018–2019 Bristol City 9 (0)
2023– Everton 15 (0)
International career‡
2015–2017 Republic of Ireland U17 18 (3)
2018–2019 Republic of Ireland U19 6 (5)
2018– Republic of Ireland 37 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 April 2019
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 August 2023

Heather Margaret Payne (born 26 January 2000) is an Irish professional footballer who plays for the Republic of Ireland women's national team and Everton in the Women's Super League.

Club career

After playing three seasons with Irish side Peamount United F.C. in the Irish Women's National League, Payne signed with Bristol City in the English first division, the FA WSL, in August 2018.[2][3]

In August 2019, after a season with Bristol, Payne moved to the United States to take up a college scholarship with the Florida State Seminoles, who compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[4]

On 25 August 2023, following 4 years in the American college system, Payne signed for England's women's top tier Women's Super League club Everton on a 2-year deal.[5]

International

Payne was named to the Ireland senior squad for a 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup-qualifying match against Northern Ireland in August 2018.[6] She made her debut for the team on 31 August 2018 playing as a wing-back.[7]

International appearances

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Republic of Ireland 2017 1 0
2018 3 0
2019 6 0
2020 4 0
2021 8 1
2022 8 0
2023 3 0
Total 33 1

International goals

Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goals first. Score column indicates score after each Payne goal. Updated as of 5 May 2023.
International goals scored by Heather Payne
No. Cap Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 17 11 June 2021 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland  Iceland 1-3 2-3 Friendly [8]

Honours

Florida State Seminoles

References

  1. ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 – Squad List: Republic Of Ireland (IRL)" (PDF). FIFA. 11 July 2023. p. 25. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Payne makes the move to Bristol". The Echo. 23 August 2018. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Heather Payne becomes the latest to swap WNL for professional football with Bristol City move".
  4. ^ "Heather Payne". Florida State Seminoles. 23 July 2019. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Payne Signs For Everton". Everton. 25 August 2023.
  6. ^ Hooper, Dave (24 August 2018). "Heather Payne Returns to Irish Women's Squad - Shannonside". Shannonside. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  7. ^ Fennessy, Paul. "Four-star Republic of Ireland end campaign on a high with comfortable win over the North". The42. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  8. ^ "Iceland 3-2 WNT". FAI. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2023.