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Statement of intent from 7th tier club as Charlie Austin explains decision to sign for them

Statement of intent from 7th tier club AFC Totton this week as Charlie Austin explains the surprise decision to sign for them.

The 35 year old was only played in League Two a couple of months ago, and had been a Championship player in 2022, but now he’s completed his medical and has linked up with Southern League Premier Division South ahead of the 2024/25 season.

The Stags are hoping he can make his debut in Saturday’s home friendly against Forest Green Rovers, before the league season gets underway at home to Walton & Hersham on the 10th of August.

Talking in an interview, per Daily Echo, he 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.”

“Beatts [AFC Totton director of football James Beattie] 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.

“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.”

AUSTIN’S CAREER:

Youth career
2005 – Reading

Senior
2006–2007 – Kintbury Rangers – 28 games (21 goals)
2007–2008 – Hungerford Town – 37 games (11 goals)
2008 – Thatcham Town
2008–2009 – Poole Town – 57 games (64 goals)
2009–2011 – Swindon Town – 65 games (37 goals)
2011–2013 – Burnley – 90 games (45 goals)
2013–2016 – Queens Park Rangers – 89 games (48 goals)
2016–2019 – Southampton – 81 games (20 goals)
2019–2021 – West Bromwich Albion – 45 games (11 goals)
2021–2022 – Queens Park Rangers – 59 games (15 goals)
2022 – Brisbane Roar – 11 games (4 goals)
2022–2024 – Swindon Town – 68 games (23 goals)
2024- AFC Totton

Here’s how fans reacted to the statement of intent from 7th tier club AFC Totton as Charlie Austin explains the decision to sign for them…

@SuggWillSugg: Charlie Austin going from #stfc to playing in the same league as supermarine in a singular summer is absolutely wild.

@Callum_StazZa:
I speak for everyone when I say
πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
What we thinking, 60, 70 goals? Double hat trick????

@jbafcb77: Christ how have that pulled that off then

@Mountford_14: Damn, how on earth did he not manage to get another League Two club – or even VNL??? #STFC

@albie_f5: Didn’t expect that πŸ˜‚ Totton got money though to be fair. Would expect them to win that league now. Shame Salisbury didn’t go in for him

@LoneGeorgie: Charlie Austin about to go moan at some bloke doing the refereeing as a hobby just because he didn’t award him a free kick

@cheeseyp: Wow , what a signing ….. question is , how do they afford him πŸ€”….. pressure on the manager now !!

@liamtribb: Called for VAR and then never played high enough to have it πŸ˜‚

@Collison21: On Β£3,400 a week last season !

@Dafydd_Nich: Charlie Austin signing for Totton. Absolute ridiculous amounts of money at that football club!

@DazWareham: Absolutely insane. He’s gonna bury that league. Not about the money anymore, just about the goals. What a legend.

@andydavis1978: Considering Charlie Austin was the self-proclaimed best striker #saintsfc have ever had, he has dropped levels at a rapid pace… πŸ”

@SaintRobinho86: Charlie Austin has signed for AFC Totton. How the mighty have fallen πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ #SaintsFC

@tom_lewo: Tbh … at AFC Totton, which is one league below the national league south… @chazaustin10 is bagging 40 minimum… surely!

@AlexReddick: Charlie Austin in the Southern League Prem next season…… Wow

@TeeGee60518810: craziest thing is he was a championship player playing for QPR 2 years ago

@AaronBailey92: 7th tier at 35 is nuts he’s still got football in him thought he’d end up at like Wrexham or something

@cameron_pickard: They will piss the league

@foreverayellow: blimey i didn’t see that coming, fairplay to him

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