Now poker champ Paynter wants to win a starting shirt

11:02am Tuesday 15th July 2008

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HE may have won the 'Billy Paynter' invitational open on Sunday night but Town's amiable scouser knows there is a far more serious competition lying ahead.

Paynter enjoyed the perfect 24th birthday present when he won his own poker tournament and now is setting his sights on his next battle with his teammates - a fight for places.

Claiming Roberto Carlos's shirt after Saturday's Fenerbahce draw will be one for the memory bank but, come August 9, Paynter will be hoping he gets his hands on a Town starting shirt.

He could start his third successive game against FZ Zlin tonight, as Town look to close their Austrian tour with a win, and the former Port Vale man is desperate to get ahead in the pecking order.

Lee Peacock's achilles injury may give Paynter the edge in the fight for a starting berth come the season opener, but with Simon Cox, Blair Sturrock and Ben Joyce all fit, he knows nothing can be taken for granted.

He said: "Coxy has done well, his goal the other night was fantastic. It was great individual skill and I am pleased for him. But all the strikers at the club know they have the ability to score goals.

"I hit the post the other night but I know they will come. There are a lot of strikers at the club and we are all pushing for a start.

"Come the start of the season someone is going to be happy and someone is going to be disappointed. I am going to be grafting as hard as I can to get that start."

While a profitable weekend at the cards table and going head-to-head with some world class footballers ensured Paynter a birthday to remember, he admits being on tour is not always ideal.

"It was a good day," he said. "I brought some cards over with me so I opened them. I always seem to be away on tour for my birthday.

"I have come here to work. I have got my head down, done the graft, and as a little celebration I got the lads a big cake so I think that put the smiles back on some faces.

"It is hard graft but you have to put it in. Come the first day of the season you want to be as fit as you can."

Sharing a pitch with the likes of Brazilian world cup winner Roberto Carlos and former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman was special enough but Paynter ensured he took away a lasting memento of the day.

Paynter, pictured, said: "You never thought as a kid you would grace the same pitch as Roberto Carlos.

"It was a special moment and one you can tell the grandkids that you played against a World Cup winner.

"I managed to get Carlos' top. On 89 minutes I was standing by him and I asked if if there was any chance.

"I used my Spanish and he said yes."