ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Sport
NO PAYNE NO GAIN
After accidentally becoming the most famous footballer in the country and possibly world overnight, All Whites defender Tim Payne is reportedly now under “crippling international pressure” to continue posting Instagram content despite previously only using the app to upload the odd photo of him playing for the Wellington Phoenix and All Whites.
Payne has exploded from 4,700 followers to over one million in just 48 hours after Argentine influencer El Scarso launched a campaign encouraging football fans to make Payne the “hero” of the FIFA World Cup due to him having the smallest social media following at the tournament.
Payne’s account has now allegedly spiralled into a non-stop content production nightmare.
“People are expecting daily Instagram stories and reels. But gee, I’ve never posted an Insta story and only posted the odd pic of me playing for the Phoenix,” Payne explained, as 50,000 more followers instantly rolled in.
The fullback now has the biggest social media following of any New Zealand football-related account, dwarfing even All Whites captain Chris Wood, who has a comparatively humiliating 162,000 followers.
Meanwhile, the official All Whites, Wellington Phoenix, and Auckland FC accounts are reportedly considering posting thirst traps to stay relevant.
Payne is now apparently frantically filming “a day in the life of Tim Payne” to keep his followers interested and many wannabe influencers and creators are absolutely spewing at his sudden stardom.
More to come
