| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1956-02-13)13 February 1956 (age 70) | ||
| Place of birth | Dundee, Scotland | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1973–1984 | Dundee United | 200 | (12) |
| 1982–1983 | →Morton (loan) | 18 | (2) |
| 1984–1985 | Arbroath | 44 | (3) |
| 1985–1986 | Brechin City | 41 | (3) |
| 1986–1987 | St Johnstone | 26 | (5) |
| Total | 329 | (25) | |
| International career | |||
| 1977–1978 | Scotland U21[1] | 3 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Graeme Payne (born 13 February 1956) is a Scottish formerfootballer who played as awinger. At Dundee United he played in twoScottish League Cup final winning teams. He was the first winner of theScottish PFA Young Player of the Year award.
Graeme Payne was born inDundee on 13 February 1956. While playing for St Columba's Boys Club, he joinedDundee United on schoolboy forms in May 1971. WhenJim McLean became Dundee United manager later that year, he placed great emphasis on the club developing its own youth players, and Payne would be one of the first to break through. As a provisional signing, he was called up to play for the reserve team in 1972. After turning professional, he made his first team debut aged 17 on the opening day of the 1973–74 season, playing againstEast Fife in aScottish League Cup match. He continued to feature regularly over the following season, culminating with an appearance in the1974 Scottish Cup Final defeat againstCeltic. Previously, Payne's goal againstHeart of Midlothian in the semi-final replay had helped United through to what was their first appearance in the final of the competition.[2]
After his appearances during the 1975–76 season were limited by injuries, Payne re-established himself as a first team player in the latter part of the 1970s and won the first everSPFA Young Player of the Year award in 1978. He was part of the Dundee United team that won the club's first two major trophies, playing in the1979 Scottish League Cup Final win againstAberdeen, and the1980 Final, when United retained the trophy againstDundee. By the 1980s, however, Payne was featuring less often in the first team. When Dundee United werePremier Division champions in1982–83, he made only three league appearances and spent the second half of the season on loan toMorton.[2]
Payne left Dundee United in May 1984, joiningArbroath for a nominal transfer fee, and also had spells withBrechin City andSt Johnstone before retiring from football to working the insurance industry.[2]
Payne represented Scotland at youth andunder-21 international level. He was named in the preliminary pool of forty players for the1978 World Cup, but didn't make the final squad and never appeared at full international level.[2]
His brother, Kenny Payne, was also a professional footballer, who played forArbroath andForfar Athletic.[3][4][5]
Dundee United:
