Everton Women have secured the signing of Super Falcons star Toni Payne, who spent the past six years with Spanish top-flight team Sevilla.
The 29-year-old forward played a crucial role in helping Nigeria reach the last 16 of the 2023 World Cup, having previously represented the USA at the Under-23 level.
Toni Payne made 169 appearances for Sevilla and also had a stint at Ajax. “I’m super excited to be an Everton player,” Payne told evertontv.
“It’s been my dream to play in the UK and in such a strong league like the WSL. Now was the right moment for me to look for another challenge to push myself.”
During the World Cup campaign, Nigeria faced the Republic of Ireland, competing against Payne’s new Everton teammates Heather Payne and Courtney Brosnan.
Commenting on the club’s first signing of the transfer window, Brian Sørensen told evertonfc.com, “I’m extremely happy to bring Toni Payne to the club. She is exactly the type of player we need.
“I’m 100-per-cent confident Toni Payne can fit right into our team and into this league because she has a wealth of experience from Spain but also for the Nigeria national team. She can play multiple positions and is an intelligent player who is really fast. A player without any injury history, too, so we are confident she will be a big success for us.