New Zealand captain: Hype surrounding Tim Payne's good for the team
Article excerpt
New Zealand captain Chris Wood says the buzz around teammate Tim Payne, who has become a social media sensation, benefits the entire squad. Wood's endorsement suggests the team is embracing rather than resisting Payne's newfound fame, viewing the attention as a potential asset rather than a distraction. The comments come as Payne's profile has grown significantly beyond traditional sports circles, drawing broader public interest to the team.
New Zealand captain Chris Wood believes the the hype surrounding team-mate and now social media star Tim Payne can only be a good thing for the team.
"I think it's great. I think it will get other nations excited about our team. That's only good for us," he said ahead of their World Cup opener against Iran on Tuesday.
Payne became a social media star after a campaign from Argentinian influencer Valen Scarsini.
Scarsini decided to find the least famous footballer on social media among those going to the World Cup.
The result was Payne, who at the time had less than 5,000 followers on Istagram. His most popular photos had racked up 200 likes.
But things changed after Scarsini asked people to follow Payne on Instagram, like his posts and support him at the World Cup. In a matter of few weeks, Payne reached more than 5.7 million followers.
New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley, however, remains largely unfazed by the commotion.
"I'm not really into social media. Publicity is publicity. Our job is to keep going and perform," he said, adding that he doesn't believe the hype is affecting the team.
This is New Zealand's third appearance in the World Cup but they are yet to win a match. In Group G, Payne and his team-mates will also face Egypt and Belgium.