Rodolph William Austin (born 1 June 1985) is a Jamaican professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
.
He is renowned as a tough tackling
central midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
who can play in attacking and central midfield as well as a
central defender
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
.
He began his career at
Portmore United, where he won two
Jamaica National Premier League titles and the
CFU Club Championship. In 2008, he moved to Norway's
Brann, contesting four
Tippeligaen
Eliteserien () is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion ...
seasons before moving to
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
in July 2012. He spent three seasons at the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
club, scoring eight goals in 101 appearances, and briefly
captained the side.
Austin is captain of the
Jamaica national team, for whom he debuted in 2004. He was part of their squads in three victorious
Caribbean Cup
The Caribbean Cup was the championship tournament for national association football teams that are members of the Caribbean Football Union. The first competition, established by Shell and run by former England Cricket fast bowler Fred Rumsey, wa ...
tournaments, as well as three
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
s and the
2015 Copa América
The 2015 Copa América was the 44th edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, and took place in Chile between 11 June and 4 July 2015. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, ...
.
Club career
Portmore United
Austin started his career at
Portmore United in Jamaica, scoring six goals in 75 appearances whilst winning the two domestic league titles and the
CFU Club Championship.
Brann
An attempt by
Stoke City to bring Austin to the club failed in August 2008, when he was refused a work permit on appeal.
Austin went on to sign a one-year loan deal with
Brann, after an agreement was reached between Brann, Portmore United and Stoke. Stoke would have the option to buy the player until 1 February 2009, and if they opted not to buy the player, Brann would have the option to buy until 30 June.
Austin made his Brann debut in the 1–3 defeat against
Bodø/Glimt on 31 August 2008, coming on as a substitute in the last 20 minutes. He debuted in European competition three weeks later with a 2–0 win against
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña (), commonly known as Deportivo La Coruña (), Deportivo or simply Dépor, is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. They currently play in the Primera División RFEF – ...
in the
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
. Stoke didn't activate their option because Austin couldn't get a work permit in England, and on 27 February 2009, Austin signed a four-year deal with Brann in a transfer worth
£1,000,000.
In January 2011, Austin was subject to a bid from
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
under manager
Neil Warnock after a trial spell at the club, however Brann rejected the bid. After playing 25 matches and scoring seven goals during the 2011 season, Austin won the SK Brann Player of the Season award. He also won the NISO Award as the best player in the 2011
Tippeligaen
Eliteserien () is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion ...
.
On 13 July 2012, Austin was linked with a move to
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
, where Warnock was now in charge after being sacked by QPR in 2011, and Leeds were said to have had a £200,000 bid rejected. Austin revealed he was hoping the move would be completed, revealing that former Leeds player and former Brann teammate
Eirik Bakke was a big influence on his desire to join the club. Austin scored a long range effort against
Aalesund on 22 July to help earn
SK Brann
Sportsklubben Brann (commonly known as Brann, and less often as SK Brann) is a Norwegian professional football club, founded 26 September 1908, from Bergen. Brann had been in the Eliteserien, Norway's Premier Division of Football, since 1987, bar ...
a 2–1 victory, with Austin picking up his 5th booking of the season and as a result a one match ban he revealed it would be his last game for the club.
Leeds United
2012–13 season
On 23 July, SK Brann revealed they had accepted a bid from
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
for Austin. Leeds United confirmed the transfer later that day, subject to Austin successfully obtaining a work permit. Austin was given the number 8 shirt at Leeds United for the 2012–13 season.
Austin made his competitive début for Leeds in the first game of the season against
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
in the League Cup on 11 August, followed by a league début for Leeds in their 1–0 victory against
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
. His first goal of for the club came in August 2012 in a League Cup match against
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
, his first league goal coming against
Cardiff City from a free kick in September 2012. Austin scored a further League Cup goal in Leeds' 2–1 victory against Premiership side
Everton in the same month. After picking up an injury on international duty, Austin was rested for the match against
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in ...
on 23 October.
In a game against
Watford
Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...
in November of the same year, following his stretchering off due to what was initially suspected as broken a leg the game saw Leeds go down to 9 men, with
Jason Pearce
Jason Daniel Pearce (born 6 December 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. He was previously the captain of Portsmouth, AFC Bournemouth, Leeds United and Charlton Athletic. He is currently U18s Academy Co ...
having already received a red card for Leeds. Scans after the game revealed Austin had not broken his leg but had however cracked his ankle bone and would be ruled out for several months.
Austin returned from injury several months ahead of schedule when he came back into the starting line-up against
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
on 26 December. Austin scored an own goal in a 4–2 loss. Austin was sent off for an elbow on
Ashley Barnes in Leeds 2–1 loss against
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
on 27 April. The subsequent three match ban meant that Austin missed the first two matches of the 2013–14 season.
2013–14 season
After missing the first two games of the season through suspension, Austin was named the new permanent
captain of Leeds United on 11 August 2013 after returning to the side from suspension against
Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
, replacing previous captain
Lee Peltier
Lee Anthony Peltier (born 11 December 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Championship club Rotherham United. While he has played in positions in both defence and midfield, he primarily plays as a right-bac ...
. Austin received the Man of The Match Award in the same game for his impressive performance. Upon being named the new captain, Austin spoke of the role being a "big honour".
After a shock 2–0
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
defeat against
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
on 4 January 2014 and then a 6–0 defeat against
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...
, on 11 January Austin spoke with the club manager
Brian McDermott and decided to step down as the club captain; the captaincy was handed over to
Ross McCormack.
2014–15 season
On 1 August, Austin was assigned the Leeds number 4 shirt for the 2014–15 season.
On 20 September, Austin scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 win over local rivals
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. Th ...
. His second goal of the season came from a penalty in the 1–1 draw against
Bolton Wanderers on 10 January 2015. On 2 February 2015, transfer deadline day, Leeds put out a statement after significant interest from clubs including
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
that Austin would not be sold and would be staying at the club, with Austin also expressing his desire to stay at Leeds.
On 28 February 2015, Austin scored a long range volley for Leeds in a 3–2 defeat against Watford. On 4 April, Austin was given a straight red card and a three-game ban for an off the ball incident against
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
in a 3–0 defeat.
On 2 May 2015, Austin won the Goal Of The Season award at Leeds United's official end of 2014–15 season awards ceremony for his strike against Watford. On 13 May 2015, Austin's contract was not renewed by Leeds United and he was released by the club.
Work permit denied
On 30 July 2015, after agreeing a three-year deal with
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...
, it was revealed that the move was cancelled as Austin was not to be given a work permit due to new
Football Association rules, wherein a non-European Union player has to represent a country in FIFA's top 50 rankings over the two years prior. Austin's agent Darryl Powell described the situation as "traumatic", since Austin's wife and young son live in England.
Brøndby IF
After being denied work permit for England, Austin signed with the Danish side
Brøndby, on a two-year contract. He left the club as his contract expired in the summer of 2017.
Esbjerg fB
After leaving Brøndby, Austin signed for newly relegated
Danish 1st Division club
Esbjerg
Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport town and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban population of 71,698 (1 January 2022) on 16 July 2017. He signed a two-year contract and got shirt number 8. After four years in Esbjerg, Austin left the club at the end of the 2020-21 season.
International career
Austin has featured for Jamaica U20, U23 and senior national teams since 2005. He won the
Caribbean Cup
The Caribbean Cup was the championship tournament for national association football teams that are members of the Caribbean Football Union. The first competition, established by Shell and run by former England Cricket fast bowler Fred Rumsey, wa ...
with Jamaica in
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, again in
2010, and again in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
. He was named Most Valuable Player for the tournament in 2010 and 2014.
Austin scored a freekick in a famous victory for Jamaica against USA on 7 September 2012, to help earn Jamaica a historic 2–1 victory to beat the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
for the first time in 19 matches.
He won the Caribbean Cup for the third time, and his second MVP award, as Jamaica captain in the
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
edition, scoring the winning goal in a 4–3 penalty shootout victory over
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
.
Austin captained Jamaica at the
2015 Copa América
The 2015 Copa América was the 44th edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, and took place in Chile between 11 June and 4 July 2015. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, ...
, their first entry into the South American championship. He played every minute of their campaign, as they were eliminated from the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
, losing all three matches and not scoring, including facing
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
in
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
's 1–0 defeat against
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, a game which saw Messi win his 100th Cap for
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
Later in 2015, he captained Jamaica to their first ever final of the
Gold Cup, scoring one goal in the process, before losing 3–1 to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
.
In the 2016 Copa Americana, Austin received a straight red in the opening game vs. Venezuela after a harsh challenge in the 24th minute.
In media
Austin also featured in Brann's
2011 Cup final song by ''Fjorden Baby!''. The song was a remake of the song
World In Motion
"World in Motion..." is a song by British musical group New Order (performed with the England national football team, credited as ENGLANDneworder). The song is New Order's only number-one song on the UK Singles Chart. It was produced for the En ...
by English band
New Order. Austin rapped the part that was made famous by Jamaican-born England international.
John Barnes
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE (born 7 November 1963) is a former professional football player and manager. He currently works as an author, commentator and pundit for ESPN and SuperSport. Initially a quick, skilful left winger, he moved to ce ...
.
Career statistics
[Rodolph Austin](_blank)
NIFS.no.
International goals
:''Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first.''
Honours
*''
Verdens Gang
''Verdens Gang'' ("The course of the world"), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, having declined from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. ''VG'' is n ...
''
Norwegian Premier League
Eliteserien () is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion ...
Player of the Year: 2011
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Austin, Rudolph
1985 births
Living people
People from Clarendon Parish, Jamaica
Jamaican footballers
Jamaica youth international footballers
Jamaica international footballers
Jamaican expatriate footballers
Association football midfielders
Portmore United F.C. players
SK Brann players
Leeds United F.C. players
Brøndby IF players
Esbjerg fB players
Eliteserien players
English Football League players
Danish Superliga players
2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2014 Caribbean Cup players
2015 Copa América players
2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Copa América Centenario players
Expatriate footballers in Norway
Expatriate footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark
Jamaican expatriate sportspeople in Norway
Jamaican expatriate sportspeople in England
National Premier League players