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Former One Direction star Liam Payne dies aged 31
The sudden death of former One Direction star Liam Payne has sent shockwaves around the world, with the 31-year-old having been long cemented as a global star. On Wednesday night, police in Argentina confirmed Payne’s body had been discovered after emergency crews responded to a call to say a man had fallen from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires.
And the news has also left football fans stunned, after Payne’s famous appearance in the 2022 Soccer Aid match between England and a World XI.
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Payne captained the English side at the London Stadium in West Ham, but only after going to extreme lengths to get himself up to speed after making a startling admission.
Having previously risen to global fame as part of the X Factor TV show in 2010, Payne was a popular choice of skipper. That was until just weeks before the clash when he made a confession in an interview with Logan Paul.
“We play this game called Soccer Aid and it's a bunch of professional soccer players - like Ronaldinho has played in the past - mixed with celebrities,” he explained. “So, I'm the captain of the England team currently at the moment, who's never kicked a football in his life by the way."
Payne did then outline the commitment levels he’d embraced in a bid to ensure he wasn’t going to look out of place. “I've been training at the moment in the UK. I’ve had to learn for the last three months," he added.
Liam Payne twice played in Soccer Aid. (Image: Getty)
Payne claimed he'd never properly played football before being picked to captain England. (Image: Getty)
"Jumping into football is like a role for me that I get to play for a certain amount of months. I put my a** into everything that I do, I was training twice a day, six times a week. It's crazy - to learn how to play football. So, hopefully I'm half decent and earn a captaincy.”
Payne was handed the No.22 shirt by Harry Redknapp and Emma Hayes, and led the likes of internationals David James, Gary Neville and Teddy Sheringham. But his cameo only lasted 28 minutes before he was replaced by Russell Howard.
At that point his side were 1-0 down, with the match eventually finishing 2-2 after 90 minutes. That meant a penalty shoot-out, with the World XI, coached by Arsene Wenger, prevailing 4-1.
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Payne still earned selection again for the 2023 version, although this time the captaincy was awarded to Jill Scott. However, The West Brom fan lasted slightly longer on the field for 30 minutes before being hauled off for Danny Dyer.
He wasn’t involved in June 2024 though, when England lifted the trophy for the first time since 2018 after a 6–3 win. The annual game has helped raise more than £100million since Soccer Aid for UNICEF began in 2006.
