Irish youngster Brandon Payne signed with Celtic last week, 11 months after his hopes of playing professional football appeared to be over due to a broken leg. The Lucan United player has signed a three-year contract after making a full recovery, aided by a visit from one Mr Roy Keane after his spell on the sidelines.
Payne had been supposed to sign for Celtic in January and feared he may never get the chance again after suffering the injury against Dundalk. Payne – who had been scouted by numerous clubs – made his return after a lengthy lay-off but was unsure if he had a future in the game. Then Keane showed up on his doorstep to offer some advice at a time when he himself was weighing up an offer to manage Celtic.
Payne took inspiration from Keane's visit, scored in a match that night, and the rest is history.
It was a nice gesture from the Ireland assistant manager, who was no doubt in a fairly stressed out place at the time, and yet another example – after last week's story about Gary Charles – of his empathetic side.
hat-tip: The Irish Independent
