AFC Totton
| Nationality | British |
|---|---|
| Date signed | 1st Aug 2024 |
| Debut | vs Walton & Hersham (home), Southern League Prem Div South, Sat10Aug2024 |
| Previous clubs | Kintbury Rangers, Hungerford Town, Thatcham Town, Poole Town, Swindon Town, Burnley, Queens Park Rangers, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, Brisbane Roar |
| Sponsor | Home Kit, Away Kit & Cup Kit: TROU DIGITAL |
Former Southampton and QPR striker Charlie Austin agreed to join last season’s Southern League Premier Division South runners-up AFC Totton on the eve of the 2024/25 season.
The Berkshire-born hitman was out of contract after leaving Swindon Town in May and finally put pen to paper on a deal with The Stags on Tuesday afternoon, shortly before his new teammates defeated National League South side Eastbourne Borough by a single goal in their penultimate pre-season friendly at the Snows Stadium.
Austin is no stranger to non-league football, having spent time at Kintbury Rangers in West Berkshire, Hungerford Town and Thatcham Town, before attracting the eye of Football League scouts with his 48-league goal haul for Poole Town in the 2008/09 season. That led to a move to Swindon Town, where he scored 31 league goals in 54 appearances, before a mid-season move to Championship side Burnley in January 2011.
His prowess in front of goal continued unabated, with a strike rate of a goal every other game for The Clarets, which he actually managed to improve upon during his time in West London at Queens Park Rangers, helping them to gain promotion to the Premier League in 2013/14.
Although QPR were subsequently relegated, Austin soon returned to the Premier League by signing for Southampton in January 2016. A week after joining the club, he made his debut as a second-half substitute against Manchester United at Old Trafford and he scored a late winner. He racked up 16 league goals in 71 games for The Saints.
Spells at West Bromwich Albion and in Australia with Brisbane Roar came either side of a return to QPR. At the end of 2022, he made a return to Swindon Town in League Two, where his strike rate was just shy of one-in-three over the course of 66 league appearances before leaving the club upon completion of the 2023/24 campaign.
After featuring in The Stags' victory over National League side Forest Green Rovers in their final pre-season friendly, Charlie made his competitive AFC Totton debut as a half-time substitute in the 1-0 opening day win over Walton & Hersham.
