Brisbane Roar have landed former Premier League striker Charlie Austin to spearhead their 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Austin arrives on a multi-year deal from Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers, where he scored 61 goals in 148 matches across two spells at the London club.
The 32-year-old also spent four seasons in the Premier League with Southampton, where he was an EFL Cup runner-up (2016-17) and Premier League Player of the Month (December 2014).
Austin, who earned an England call-up in 2014-15, also scored twice in Southampton’s 2016-17 Europa League campaign.
“I’m delighted to be joining Brisbane Roar,” said Austin, who is due to arrive in Australia later this week.
“To play abroad is something I’ve always wanted to do and when the opportunity came up to join this club I was looking to explore it.
“I met the gaffer Warren in London and he sold me the project of the football club and it was one I was excited about!
“I want to help the club get back into the top six and on a personal note score as many goals as possible.”
Austin is coming off a seven-goal season with QPR in the Championship, having bagged eight across all competitions in 2020-21.
Roar head coach Warren Moon added: “We’re delighted to secure a player with such a proven goalscoring record.
“Charlie has scored goals wherever he’s been. From my discussion with him, he comes to us with great ambition to try to hit the 200 mark for his career.
“That says to me that we have a player who is coming here to be successful for Brisbane Roar and who has the hunger to continue doing what he loves best and that’s scoring goals.
“A big thing for him was coming to a place where he knew his family would be happy and what better place to come than Brisbane.”
