Dean Austin - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Dean Austin is an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

former footballer who played as a defender

Defender (football)

Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

.

He started his career at St Albans

St Albans City F.C.

St Albans City Football Club is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park, about 800 yards from the city centre. The club is in the Premier Division of the Southern League...

and went on to play for Southend United

Southend United F.C.

Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...

, Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

and Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

. He retired after the 2002–03 season while at Woking

Woking F.C.

Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...

and has since worked as a coach.

Early career

At the age of 12, Austin managed to get on the Watford

Watford F.C.

Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

books and also played for Sunday League side Forest United. At the age of 17, he came back to Watford

Watford F.C.

and played for the under-18s. He then joined non-league side St Albans City

St Albans City F.C.

Southend

Austin was signed by Southend

Southend United F.C.

manager David Webb

David Webb

David Webb may refer to:*David Webb , English football player and manager*David Michael Webb , Hong Kong corporate and economic governance activist...

from St Albans

St Albans City F.C.

for £14,000 in 1990 and made his debut on 10 April, as the Shrimpers

Southend United F.C.

held Burnley

Burnley F.C.

Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

to a 0–0 draw. He went on to play the last 7 games of the 1989/90 season

1989-90 in English football

-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...

as Southend

Southend United F.C.

were automatically promoted to the Third division after defeating Peterborough

Peterborough United F.C.

Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

2–0 on the final day of the season. He scored his first goal for the club on 4 September 1990 in the Rumblelows Cup

Football League Cup

The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

against Aldershot

Aldershot F.C.

Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...

. In the 1990/91 season

1990-91 in English football

The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...

he received an injury and was forced to miss out on the beginning of the season, but after recovering he became an integral part of the team as Southend

Southend United F.C.

just missed out on the Division 3 title. He scored two more goals for Southend

Southend United F.C.

in the 1991/92 season

1991-92 in English football

- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...

, both in the league. Southend had briefly topped the Second Division after the early Boxing Day

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...

games but eventually fell away to mid table in their first season at this level, ending hopes of a unqiue third successive promotion and a place in the new FA Premier League

FA Premier League

The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...

.

His form attracted interest from bigger clubs and midway through the season Derby County

Derby County F.C.

Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

approached Austin, but he felt he could hold out for bigger clubs. He ended up being signed by Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

, the club he supported as a child by manager Terry Venables

Terry Venables

Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...

for £375,000. In all competitions, he had made 109 appearances for Southend

Southend United F.C.

, scoring three goals.

Tottenham

Austin made his debut on 22 August 1992. His first season at Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

was rather successful, Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

finished in 8th place. But then, in 1993 Osvaldo Ardiles

Osvaldo Ardiles

Osvaldo César Ardiles , often referred to in Britain as Ossie Ardiles, is a football coach, pundit and former midfielder who won the 1978 World Cup as part of the Argentine national team...

took over and with his 5-man attacking line-up Austin wasn't given much of a chance in the team and Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

only just avoided relegation. However, next season he was back in the team and under Gerry Francis

Gerry Francis

Gerald Charles James Francis is an English former footballer and manager, now working as First Team coach at Stoke City.-Playing career:Francis made his debut for Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool in March 1969...

Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

reached the semi-final of the FA Cup

FA Cup 1994-95

The FA Cup 1994-95 was the 114th staging of the world's oldest cup competition, the Football Association Cup or FA Cup. The competition was won by Everton, with a shock victory over Manchester United, who were strong favourites to add to the previous year's trophy but were beaten 1-0...

, only to lose to eventual winners Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

4–1. However, in 1996 he had serious knee injuries which limited his appearances in the team and in 1998 he was sold to Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace F.C.

. In all competitions, he made 154 appearances for Tottenham and did not score a single goal. In a Times Online article in 2007, he was named number 35 on the list of 50 worst Premier League

FA Premier League

footballers.

Crystal Palace

Austin linked up with former manager Terry Venables

Terry Venables

at Palace

Crystal Palace F.C.

, although Venables only stayed for six months. After not playing for 18 months, Austin failed to find his place in the team until several players left because of the Eagles'

Crystal Palace F.C.

financial troubles, opening the door for Austin. He marked his return to the club by scoring the winner against Norwich City

Norwich City F.C.

Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

. The club, however went into administration in 1999 and defied the odds, staying up in Division 1 despite being tipped to go down. He was later named club captain and then joined Woking

Woking F.C.

. There were also rumours of him returning to Roots Hall

Roots Hall

Roots Hall is a multi-use sports stadium in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, primarily used for football games and is the home of the Football League Two club Southend United. With a capacity of 12,392 Roots Hall is the largest football stadium in Essex, and is the current venue for the final of...

Woking

Austin spent the last season of his career with Woking

Woking F.C.

. He was appointed club captain by manager Glenn Cockerill

Glenn Cockerill

Glenn Cockerill is a retired English footballer who played more than 700 games in The Football League in a 22-year career. He is perhaps best remembered from his eight-year spell at Southampton...

as the club narrowly avoided relegation from the Conference National

Conference National

Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

. At the age of 33 he was unable to sign a new deal, and retired shortly after.

After retirement

Austin briefly managed at Conference South level and dabbled in agency work.

Coaching career

In May 2007 Austin rejoined his old club Southend United

Southend United F.C.

as a coach under Steve Tilson

Steve Tilson

Stephen Brian "Steve" Tilson is an English football manager and former player. He is best known for his time in charge of Southend United...

. In November 2008, Austin joined up with the newly-appointed Watford

Watford F.C.

manager, Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers is a Northern Irish former footballer, who is currently the manager of Swansea City.After retiring as a footballer at the age of 20, Rodgers stayed at Reading and was appointed as youth team coach. He joined Chelsea, under the leadership of José Mourinho, as youth team manager in...

as his assistant, and followed Rodgers to Reading

Reading F.C.

Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

the following August. Austin departed from the Royals that December when Rodgers was sacked, and only get back into football in June 2010, when he was appointed as a coach by George Burley

George Burley

George Elder Burley is a Scottish football manager and former player and manager, formerly the manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Burley had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player making 628 appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps...

at another former club, Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace F.C.

, but his tenure there last just eleven months. He was sacked by the Eagles in May 2011 after allegations of a disagreement between him and Burley's replacement as Palace boss, Dougie Freedman

Dougie Freedman

Douglas "Dougie" Freedman is a Scottish former professional football player who played as a striker. He is currently manager at Championship club Crystal Palace, where he spent ten of his sixteen years as a player.-Barnet:...

External links

ShrimperZone.com
Dean Austin Icons.com

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