Academy starlet puts in the yards to break into Wigan Athletic first-team set-up

The 19-year-old put the graft in during his 'time off' at the end of last season, which has helped him to hit the ground running in pre-season.

Payne is understood to have been there or thereabouts on all of the fitness drills - and that is absolutely no coincidence.

“One of my priorities over the break was making sure I’m in top condition fitness-wise," he said. "Even when I was away on holiday, I was still working hard to make sure that, when I got back, I was at the highest level of fitness possible.

"And I feel like I’ve put myself in good stead for the season. Especially for a young player, first impressions are always good, because you never know, it only takes one chance and you might be in.

“I’ve played a few different roles in pre-season that the gaffer's asked of me, but I feel like I’ve done well.

"It’s still pre-season so there is a lot more to work on, but I feel like if we keep working hard as a team and individually, we’ll be ready for the start of the season."

Payne - whose sole first-team appearance came in the EFL Trophy at Tranmere last season - has also thanked boss Shaun Maloney for the way he's been welcomed into the senior fold.

"I think he's excellent, especially with the younger lads," added the midfielder or defender, who spent four years at Liverpool before joining Latics as an Under-13 in 2018.

"He gets you involved and really makes you feel like you're part of the team, which makes it easier to come in and work.

"It's quite obvious there's a pathway here, a lot of the players in and around the first team set-up have come from the Academy, and hopefully we can make sure that pathway continues.

"Coming in, it's obviously a very young squad. But there's also a lot of games, and I haven’t played many first-team games, so it’s good to be around the lads every day and learn from them, speak to them when I need to.

"It’s helping me grow as a player and I am looking forward to the season."