TALENTED Saints youngster Lewis Payne has signed a new contract to keep him at St Mary’s until June 2025.

The defender joined the Saints academy at the age of nine before rising up the ranks to sign his first professional deal in 2021. And now, after a breakthrough campaign, Payne has put pen to paper on an extended deal.

The 18-year-old has been a regular fixture for the Saints B team over the last two seasons and saw his progress rewarded with his first team debut away at Cambridge United in August's League Cup tie.

READ MORE: Jones hints at potential Saints departures - but wants incoming signings first

Playing 75 minutes, the right-back marked his maiden Saints start with the assist for Che Adams’ opening goal and he has remained involved in the first team set-up since, training with Nathan Jones’s side on numerous occasions while joining them for the December training camp in Spain.

Speaking after signing his new deal, Payne said: “It’s a good feeling, obviously it’s my second contract now so it’s not a place to rest. It doesn’t make me want to stop, my head is on to the next thing, the next challenge.

Daily Echo:

“Going through the academy in every age group I wasn’t always one of the better players, but now I’m starting to feel more important to the team which is good and I want to be pushing on.

“My debut came out of nowhere and that was unbelievable so that gave me a lot of confidence, and then being around the first team and getting used to the players they all helped me a lot.

“I’m going to want to start pushing up into the first team and start playing Men’s football however that is, so that’s my aim.”

Payne has regularly captained the Saints B team over the past 18 months and academy director Matt Hale highlighted the club’s satisfaction in tying him down for the next three years.

“Lewis is one of those who has been involved with the first team and made his debut this season so we’re pleased to secure him for a bit longer and he deserves a new contract.

“We like to bring our players through that have been here for a long time and Lewis is a really good example of that.

“He’s a tenacious player, he’s physical, he likes that part of the game - it’s his strengths - some of his performances this season have been exceptional in the B team so we’re looking forward to him getting around the first team even more now and trying to break in.”

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