Premier League star who got dream England call-up but no cap 'still annoyed to this day'
Charlie Austin is still irritated about not making it onto the pitch for England after receiving his call-up.
Roy Hodgson selected Austin back in the summer of 2015 for England's friendly with the Republic of Ireland and a Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia while he was still with QPR. But ultimately, Austin watched on from the sidelines while established stars like Wayne Rooney, Adam Lallana, and Jamie Vardy were favoured by the boss.
While earning the call-up remains a milestone moment in Austin's career, not being able to play a single minute has left him frustrated even after all these years. In a chat with Soccer AM legend Tubes on his Golf Life YouTube channel, Austin explained: "The disappointment of it, of course, is that I didn't get that cap.
"That, still to this day, probably annoys me, but there's nothing I can do about it. It's done, it happened, but to be that close and to be involved in an England squad was a phenomenal achievement for myself because you look at the year, QPR were poor."
Underlining his individual scoring prowess during that time, he said: "We had players but we were poor. I scored 18 goals in the Premier League and missed two penalties - and we got relegated. On a personal point of view it was brilliant, but as a team and a collective we were rubbish."
QPR ended up at the very bottom of the pile in the 2014/15 Premier League season, with Austin's goals not enough to save them from a mere 30-point finish and relegation alongside Hull and Burnley. Since then, they've been unable to claw their way back to the top tier of English football.
Austin also shared that despite not being the management's top pick over Rooney on the field, it was Wazza himself who took the striker under his wing in the England squad. He continued: "Rooney did. So Martin Dwyer - who's a retired racehorse jockey now - he was friends with him.
"And when I went in that was an easy connection - and then that was it, he kind of looked after me from when I went in. Rob Green was called up as well wasn't he - from QPR - so I'd knew Greeny for two years, that kind of helped me. I'd just sit with Rob Green and Gary Cahill when I was on the bus, and they were brilliant.
Charlie Austin training with England in 2015
"I was sat opposite Gary Cahill thinking 'this guy's a ledge' - but that was my mindset it was all surreal, until you got on the training pitch. Then it was time to work and show what you can do." Austin started off in the game's lower echelons - kicking off his career at Kintbury Rangers in 2006, moving through Hungerford Town, Thatcham Town, and Poole, before Swindon Town of League One spotted his talent in 2009.
The goal-hungry star man netted 31 times in 54 appearances for the team before joining Burnley in 2011, and eventually made his Premier League debut with Harry Redknapp's QPR in 2013. He also had stints at Southampton and West Brom before rejoining QPR in 2021. In 2022, he transferred to Brisbane Roar, only to return to Swindon later that same year. After scoring 21 goals in 66 games for the League Two club, he was let go in May.
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