Oldham sign midfielder Hill and bring back Payne

Oldham Athletic have signed Tom Hill after his exit from Harrogate Town as well as bringing back fellow midfielder Kai Payne for a third loan spell from Wigan.

Hill, 23, has been on trial with the Latics having initially been invited to train with Harrogate during pre-season.

A former Wales Under-21 international who came through Liverpool‘s academy, Hill scored for Oldham during their 4-0 pre-season friendly win over Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

“Everything has been promising during pre-season and scoring last week was a special moment – hopefully it’s the first of many good memories here,” Hill told the club website.

“I’m excited for the season ahead and can’t wait to pull on the shirt competitively.”

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Payne returns having made 35 appearances for Oldham last season as well as five appearances during his previous loan stint in 2024-25.

Boss Micky Mellon said of Payne: “Kai has been excellent for us in every spell here and we’re delighted to have him back.

“He’s a player who understands what we’re about, knows the standards we expect and fits perfectly into the way we want to play.”