Premier League cult hero looks unrecognisable as he completes 14TH transfer of career as he joins non-league minnows
A PREMIER LEAGUE cult hero looks unrecognisable after completing the 14th transfer of his career.
Charlie Austin left Swindon earlier this summer despite featuring in all 46 league games for the club last season.
He scored 12 goals but was not offered a new contract by incoming manager Mark Kennedy.
Austin, 34, has now signed for non-league side AFC Totton, who play in Southampton.
And he looked unrecognisable when posing in his new team’s shirt, showing off a bald head.
The striker is now at the 15th club of his career, having started in non-league before rising to the Prem.
He made 111 top flight appearances for the likes of QPR, Southampton and West Brom, scoring 34 goals.
Now Austin has teamed up with another ex-Saints striker at AFC Totton – James Beattie, who is the club’s Director of Football.
After putting pen to paper Austin said: “I think it was more along the family lines, I know where I am physically and mentally.
“I think I just wanted to spend more time with family. I do football with my son, training midweek, and it’s something I didn’t want to miss out on.
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All 14 Charlie Austin transfers
Reading to Kintbury Reading – 2006
Kintbury Rangers to Hungerford Town – 2007
Hungerford Town to Thatcham Town – 2008
Thatcham Town to Poole Town – 2008
Poole Town to Swindon Town – 2009
Swindon Town to Burnley – 2010
Burnley to QPR – 2013
QPR to Southampton – 2015
Southampton to West Brom – 2019
West Brom to QPR (loan) – 2020
West Brom to QPR (permanently) – 2020
QPR to Brisbane Roar – 2022
Brisbane Roar to Swindon Town – 2022
Swindon Town to AFC Totton – 2024
“Beatts got in touch with me – and I appreciate it wasn’t an easy deal to make, but the football club showed real patience with me to make it happen.
“I was very appreciative of that and now it’s about playing with a smile on my face and helping the football club.
“There isn’t much else to tell, he got in touch with me in May and asked me about my situation, what I was thinking of doing.
“I told him I still wanted to play in the Football League but it was about what opportunities would arise throughout the summer,” Austin said.
“I went on holiday and we stayed in contact, before it came to a point where he just asked me if I wanted to come down and train, they knew I had been training on my own.
“I said I wasn’t too sure but I went away on one last family holiday and the penny dropped, I just rang him and told him I wanted to do the deal.
“It was as simple as that, there’s no glitz or glamour in it but the patience the club has shown has been brilliant and I am really appreciative of that.”