Former Huddersfield Town, Bradford City and Charlton Athletic playmaker snapped up by League Two club

The 29-year-old was available as a free agent, as Charlton Athletic opted against renewing his contract. He had ended the 2023/24 season out on loan, helping Milton Keynes Dons reach the League Two play-offs.

Payne will once again be in League Two when the new campaign begins, as he has penned a two-year deal at Colchester. The move reunites him with Colchester boss Danny Cowley, who he worked under at Lincoln City.

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Speaking to Colchester’s official website, Payne said: “I’ve worked with Danny and Nicky [Cowley, assistant] before and we keep in touch generally, so when the summer came and I became a free agent, discussions started taking place.

“It got cut short so I’m really excited to be working with them again, I really enjoyed the time I had with them and it was a massive factor in me signing.”

Like Payne, Cowley also counts Huddersfield among his former clubs. Payne was recruited by the Terriers in 2016, making the move to West Yorkshire after an impressive start to his career at Southend United.

He made 28 appearances for the club, spending time out on loan at Oxford United, Blackburn Rovers and Bradford. His time at Valley Parade was productive, yielding nine goals and seven assists.