Southampton striker Charlie Austin doesn’t let the glamour of the Premier League get to his head as he remembers where he came from
Charlie Austin was laying bricks whilst playing non-league football in 2009 for Poole Town now he is playing in the glitz and glamour of the Premier League but remains grounded
CHARLIE AUSTIN enjoys the frills of life as a Premier League star — but he will never be seduced by them.
There has never been greater distance between the actors in our football theatres and the paying customers sensing something wrong at the core of the sport.
Flash cars, flash people, bungs, conflicts of interest, whingeing players — wrongdoing by the super-rich while the fans wonder what’s happening to their heroes.
Southampton striker Austin is one of a scattering of top-flight footballers who still identify with the punters, having come up the hard way through non-league and the graft of a building site.
There’s nothing wrong with being highly paid in a freakishly competitive industry.
Austin describes it as “ruthless”. The career is short and balances on a knife-edge.
But Austin maintains that his passage from the hod and trowel to Southampton’s luxurious new training complex and European football keeps him grounded.
He said: “When I was a builder, I drove a blue van. It had a hole in the floor and I couldn’t afford to fix it. I put a concrete block over the hole.
“Life’s obviously changed completely from when I was a builder to now. But all that’s changed about me is that I don’t drive a blue van any more.
“I’m still the same person. I’ve gone from there to where I am now but I’m still Charlie. I’m not flash — I’m chilled and relaxed.
“To the fans I’m Charlie the footballer but to my mates I’m just Charlie.
“I’ve got a strong family, close friends and hobbies outside football that keep my feet on the ground.
I run soccer schools for kids and have a race syndication.
“I’m grounded and close with my friends still, from my schooldays and growing up together.
“I’m nothing special, just someone they have known for 20 years. They just call me tight now and then! They’re great for me.”
Austin’s quiet reluctance to discuss his family underlines how determined he is to keep professional and private life separate.
The blue van is now in a scrapyard but the mentality of putting in a shift, knuckling down and getting on with the job, points to someone with valuable experience outside football’s insular world.
Austin, 27, played non-league — most recently at Poole — and was laying bricks until 2009, when Swindon took a punt on his prowess in the box.
Seven years on he is looking back on an England call-up and a second spell in the Premier League at Saints, having signed from QPR last season.
The durability instilled in him meant he kept focused until grabbing his chance on September 15 when thrust into action against Sparta Prague in the Europa League.
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Less than a month later Austin has scored five goals in five games — yet he refuses to get carried away.
Instead he points to two-and-a-half years spent at this Sunday’s opponents Burnley as having a major role in getting him to where he is now.
Speaking after training with his team-mates in the middle of the current international break, he is unruffled by not making the latest England squad.
Austin, who was with Reading as a schoolboy, explained: “The academy system didn’t work for me. But I didn’t give up.
“I got on with the day job and played non-league. Next thing I know I’m on trial at Bournemouth, then signed for Swindon.
“I knew I didn’t want to go back to the building site. I was done with that. Everywhere I have gone from there has been on the up.
“When I went to Burnley I’d only been a pro for 14 months. I wasn’t even entirely sure where it was! I always lived at home with my mum and dad and it’s a long way from Bournemouth.
“I was 21 and it was a big learning curve for me.
“It took me six months to settle in but then it clicked on and off the pitch and really matured me. I became a dad while I was there and lived in Rawtenstall (a short drive south of Burnley) with six or seven of the other lads. It helped us forge a close-knit team.
“Football doesn’t hold back for anyone. There’s no waiting around. If you don’t take your chances they will soon pass you by. You have to be mature and take it one step at a time.
“But, equally, you have to take that one chance because if you let it go by there is someone waiting right beside you to take it.
“You have to be ruthless. Football is a ruthless game. It’s a team sport but you have to be ruthless when it comes to your career.
“People are obviously entitled to their opinions about football but I played the cards I was dealt and have nothing to be ashamed of.
“I am proud to tell anyone that I am a footballer. It was my dream and I have the best job in the world.”
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