Champion hangs up his boots for good

Attacking midfielder Shelton Payne has retired from football less than four months after winning the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League with FC United of Manchester.

Instead of playing in Ramsbottom United's 4-1 home defeat at the hands of the Hyde United on Saturday, the 26-year-old was a free agent for the first time in years after announcing that his early retirement a month after arriving at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium.

Signed by the Rams after spending pre-season at Salford City, the former Chorley, Colwyn Bay, Hyde and Barrow player told fans on Twitter: "All the best to everyone at Rammy for the season. Nothing personal, my heart's just not really in playing football anymore."

Payne made a single appearance for the Rams in their 2-0 opening day defeat at Rushall Olympic before deciding to hang up his boots for good.

Shelton Payne at the 2014-15 EVO-STIK NPL Premier Division champions

Shelton Payne at the 2014-15 EVO-STIK NPL Premier Division champions

Rams manager Jon Robinson said: "I wish Shelton all the best for his future, we could see from last Saturday's performance that his mind wasn't really on the game. With the pressure to perform at this level, we need our players 100 per cent committed and battling for the Rammy cause."

Image courtesy of www.fc-utd.co.uk, www.fcunited.ru

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