It has been a rapid rise to the top for a player who was still in the Waitakere United youth team a year ago.
"It has all happened so fast," agrees Payne. "At the start of this year, I was focussed on getting a start for the under-17s and hadn't really thought about the under-20s. Now I have a chance in England."
"I think what he did in Mexico - and then Colombia - sealed the deal," says Waitakere United coach Neil Emblen. "But he has been great for us, and his performance in the ASB Premiership final underlined his class. He has great game intelligence and has always been able to play beyond his years. He also has a knack of making good runs, and moves well with the ball at pace, which is rare in New Zealand."
Emblen - who racked up 235 games for Wolves - recalls first seeing Payne playing for Sacred Heart College in Auckland.
"He stood out," remembers Emblen. "He had so much pace and power, and we wanted to sign him straight away."
Payne is the youngest player to have started an ASB Premiership match (aged 15 years 7 months) and also scored on debut for Auckland City.
He switched to Waitakere for the 2010 NZFC and solid performances at senior level saw him catch the eye of the national selectors.
"Danny Hay has been our eyes and ears here, and feels that Tim is the best prospect to emerge on the local scene in some time," says Miller. "We believe he has all of the attributes required to make it in the Premier League, though obviously we all know, as does Tim, that he has a long way to go."
Payne will leave for England in the first week of September and spend three weeks in Lancashire. He will train at the Blackburn Academy and also be involved in a series of trial games.
Depending on how he progresses at Blackburn, there may also be trials at other English and Danish clubs.
"It is pretty exciting," says Payne. "My goal is to play professionally somewhere and this is a big step in that direction, I hope."
Payne has never met Nelsen but the All Whites skipper has passed on some telling advice over the phone.
"He emphasised that I need to have no regrets," says Payne. "He said I have to make sure I give it absolutely everything in my time there. You may succeed, you may fail, but the worst thing is to walk away thinking you had more to give."
Making it in professional football, especially in England, has proved beyond most Kiwi footballers. Apart from Nelsen and Hay, only a handful of other New Zealanders have appeared in the top flight.
There have been many youngsters sign deals, only to move on a year or two later: names such as Jack Pelter (Sunderland), Chris James (Fulham), Luke Rowe (Birmingham) and Andrew Milne (Rangers) spring to mind.
"Over there, it is all about volume of numbers," says Emblen. "Any overseas kid has got to be better than all the locals. Also it is hard to go from being a big fish here to just one of 30 or 40 at an English club."
Payne appeals as someone who may just make that breakthrough. He is technically gifted, and is physically strong on the ball. Perhaps most importantly, he is versatile. His best position is just behind the main striker but he can also play as the main centre forward or on either flank as a winger or wide midfielder. Payne also appeals as a right fullback.
"Right now, I'm just focussed on [beating] Palmerston North Boys' High, Silverstream and St Andrews [at the national tournament]," says Payne, "but I can't wait to give it my all in England."
