Gillingham let Jack Payne leave Priestfield for Championship Peterborough United on loan
by Luke Cawdell
Gillingham midfielder Jack Payne has joined
Championship side Peterborough on loan until the end of the
season.
The two clubs have agreed a financial
package for that deal to turn permanent at the end of the loan
spell.
Payne emerged from Gillingham’s youth
set-up and played over 100 times for the club.
He was understood to have been close to
agreeing a loan move to Crystal Palace last week, with David Wright
moving in the opposite direction, but that deal fell through.
Peterborough were linked with Payne during
the summer and were quick to move in and sign the 21-year-old.
Gills boss Martin Allen: “A move fell
through here earlier in the week but he responded very well, he was
fine, then this other club came in at the last minute and to go and
play in the Championship, at his age, is an opportunity that can be
life-changing for a footballer, financially, and sometimes you have
to take it.”
Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony
tweeted: “Jack is quality young midfielder who we were close to
signing last summer. Better late than never. Will complement our
young squad.”
Payne’s departure is likely to be followed
by others in the coming days, with Allen saying: “We have a couple
of our other players who have been offered deals at other clubs as
well in the last 48 hours. It certainly hasn’t unsettled the
camp.
“I can’t name them for obvious reasons but
they were a couple of players not on the bench and it doesn’t take
rocket science to work that one out. It hasn’t unsettled what we
have been doing and the players have been very sharp in
training.”
Picture: Barry Goodwin
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26/01/13
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