MIDFIELDER Josh Payne will join Oxford United from Doncaster on a permanent basis.

He has agreed a two-and-a-half year contract, and will sign on a free in the January transfer window when his three-month loan deal expires.

The 19-year-old has grown in stature with almost every week that he has been at Oxford, and scored his first goal for the U’s in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Northampton – a spectacular 25-yard free-kick.

Payne, who is from Basingstoke and was with Portsmouth and Southampton as a youth, moved to West Ham in 2008 and captained the Hammers’ under 18 team.

He is occupying the key anchor role in the three-man midfield that the U’s employ, a role that requires maturity, and a sharp football brain, which is what he has shown.

Manager Chris Wilder said: “It’s a compliment to the football club that he wants to join us.

“I’d been after him for quite a while. I tracked him in the summer, managed to get him here on loan and as soon as discussions started in terms of a permanent switch, he made it perfectly clear that he wanted to come and join us.

“So that shows we’re doing the right things as he wants to join a club that’s going places. We feel we are and he wants to be part of it.”

He added: “His is a position of responsibility.

“We have all thought about this . . . do we need one or two older heads in the team?

“I think Jake Wright coming back has made a big difference and been a big help for us.

“As long as the young players learn from the experiences. If they don’t learn then we have to change around the shape and the team and the personnel.

“But if they do, then we can progress.

“They all realised my feelings after the Macclesfield game in terms of having worked hard to put ourselves in winning positions. We can’t afford to throw games away, and we felt we did there.

“The reaction is what happened against Northampton.

“And I thought Josh, from a disappointing second half at Macclesfield, showed maturity with his performance.

“He gets on the ball, he’s a proper midfield player, he wants to make things happen, and he scored a great goal.

“The effect that Macclesfield had on him was great for me to see, as well as the other younger players.”

It’s understood there will be a sell-on clause in his deal, when he puts pen to paper.

Payne himself was delighted to agree the new deal, because it gives him stability.

“I’m over the moon,” he said. “When I came here, all I wanted to do was play week in, week out.

“And things have gone brilliantly. We’ve been playing well, but haven’t got the results.

“If we could get another win after last week, I think that would set us up for going places.

“If we get on a run, I think we’re more than capable of promotion.

“It’s a great club, great set-up. We’ve got all the facilities, so we’ve just got to get together and do the job.”

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