Billy Paynter

William Paul Paynter (born 13 July 1984) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of club Runcorn Linnets.

In a 17-year professional career in the English Football League he played as a striker and scored 131 goals in 529 league and cup appearances.

Born in Liverpool, Paynter started his career with Port Vale in 2000, and made over 150 appearances in his six years with the club, being voted Player of the Year in 2005.

He signed professional forms in 2000, and manager Brian Horton gave Paynter his debut against Walsall at Vale Park on 3 May 2001.

At only 16 years and 294 days old, this made him the youngest Vale player for twenty years.

Horton went on to give the young striker seven further Second Division games in the 2001–02 season.

He scored his first senior goal past Notts County on 17 September 2002, making him the club's youngest goalscorer for 24 years.

By the end of the season he had scored five goals in 34 appearances.

Still a teenager during the 2003–04 season, he hit 14 goals in 48 games despite being played mostly on the right-wing, leaving him second in the club's scoring charts behind the prolific Stephen McPhee.

He was rewarded with a long-term contract at the season's end.

He opened the 2004–05 season by being sent off for over celebrating after scoring Vale's first goal in a 3–2 defeat at Walsall on 7 August; he went on to criticize referee Lee Probert for ruining the game with the red card decision.

He went on to end the campaign as the club's top-scorer with thirteen goals in fifty games; this came despite criticism from some supporters for a mini-goal drought in mid-season.

In March, manager Martin Foyle dismissed rumours of Paynter moving to nearby Crewe Alexandra.

At the end of the season, fans voted Paynter as the club's Player of the Year.

He started the 2005–06 season with just two goals in sixteen League One games, but had still done enough in his Port Vale career to justify a move into Championship football.

The club reported Tony Pulis' Plymouth Argyle to The Football Association for an alleged illegal approach for the player, but accepted a bid from Hull City.

In November 2005, Hull City manager Peter Taylor signed Paynter on loan, then later negotiated a permanent transfer for an initial fee of £150,000 in the January transfer window.

Teammate Sam Collins also moved to Hull at the same time.

Again, Paynter mainly played as a striker, but also made some appearances as a right midfielder.

He scored three times in his 23 appearances, before moving on again at the end of the season.

He was sold to Hull City in January 2006, before moving on to Southend United eight months later.

Paynter joined Southend United on a three-year contract on 7 August 2006 for an undisclosed fee, although he actually joined the Shrimpers a few days earlier on loan, to enable him to play in their match against Stoke City.

Paynter scored his first and what turned out to be only Southend goal in a 3–2 League Cup victory over Brighton, but lost his place in the first team due to a lack of goals.

Paynter's stay at Southend was brief, interrupted by a hamstring injury, and on the last day of the January transfer window of the 2006–07 season he was loaned out to Bradford City for a month, having made just eleven appearances for Southend.

His career stalled, and following a loan spell with Bradford City, he moved on to Swindon Town in August 2007.

Paynter made his debut for Bradford City against Nottingham Forest on 3 February 2007, scoring a last minute equaliser to earn the Bantams a 2–2 draw.

He played fifteen times for Bradford, scoring four goals, after his loan was extended to the end of the season.

In August 2007, Paynter signed for Swindon Town on transfer deadline day on a three-year contract.

He made his debut on 9 September, coming on as a substitute in a televised defeat against Yeovil.

He hit a hat-trick against AFC Bournemouth on 22 September, his first game at the County Ground.

He followed this up with a brace against Gillingham in a 5–0 win on 6 October, as a strong partnership with loan signing Simon Cox began to develop.

Following Paul Sturrock's departure, caretaker managers David Byrne and Maurice Malpas dropped him over concerns that he had lost confidence following a run of one goal scored in nine games.

Averaging more than a goal every three games with the club, he transferred to Leeds United in June 2010.

He joined Brighton & Hove Albion on loan in October 2011, before taking a free transfer to Doncaster Rovers in August 2012.

He helped Rovers to win the League One title in 2012–13.

He was loaned out to Sheffield United in January 2014.

He signed with Carlisle United in June 2014, moving on to Hartlepool United twelve months later.

He dropped into non-League football for a brief spell with Warrington Town in November 2017.

He moved into coaching after retiring as a player and has coached at the academies at Everton, RIASA, Port Vale and was appointed as first-team manager at Runcorn Linnets in March 2023.

Paynter started his career at Port Vale after being scouted in his native Liverpool at the age of ten.