Toni Payne

Antionette Oyedupe "Toni" Payne (born 22 April 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Everton. Born in the United States, she represents Nigeria at international level.

Early life
Payne was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama to Nigerian parents. She is the older sister of fellow footballers Stephen and Nicole Payne. She and her sister Nicole have played together in the Nigeria women's national team.

Ajax
In 2017, Ajax invited Payne for an internship, which led to her signing for the club. She made her league debut against ADO Den Haag on 19 May 2017. Payne scored her first league goal against PSV on 27 May 2018, scoring in the 16th minute.

Sevilla
On 4 July 2018, Payne was announced at Sevilla. She made her league debut against Albacete on 9 September 2018. Payne scored her first league goal against Rayo Vallecano on 16 September 2018, scoring in the 89th minute. On 18 June 2019, it was announced that her contract was extended for two further years.

Everton
On 19 July 2024, Payne was announced at Everton.

International career
Through birth and descent, Payne was eligible to play for the United States or Nigeria.

United States
Payne played for the United States under-17 team, and was in the team which won the 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship.

Nigeria
In 2019, Payne declared her intention to switch her international career to Nigeria. She made her senior debut on 18 February 2021 starting against Russian club CSKA Moscow at the Turkish Women's Cup. Her first appearance facing other national team was two days later against Uzbekistan.

On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.