New Zealand young gun Tim Payne is close to linking up with Premier League club Blackburn Rovers in January.
The NZ U17 star has been training with the Lancashire club's reserves team after impressing on trial in September - which was set up by Rovers and Kiwi skipper Ryan Nelsen - and could be set for a professional deal in the New Year with the prospect exciting him gratly.
"It has all happened so fast," he told the New Zealand Herald.
"At the start of this year, I was focused on getting a start for the Under-17s and hadn't really thought about the Under-20s. Now I have a chance in England.
"It is pretty exciting. My goal is to play professionally somewhere and this is a big step in that direction."
