Former Premier League forward Charlie Austin has revealed he was rejected from his first coaching role, after applying to work with former club Queens Park Rangers.
Austin, 37, has retired from playing professionally after a 20-year career and is now looking to stay in the game by helping develop young players. He said on Sunday that he had applied for a job with the QPR Academy coaching team but did not progress.
Writing on social media, Austin said it was his first job interview disappointment, and that he was gutted not to progress to the next stage with @QPRAcademy, calling it the club he really wanted to work with. He added that he would keep working hard and hoped his time would come, and wished good luck to whoever lands the role.
Austin played 148 times for QPR, scoring 61 goals, across three spells with the club: 2013 to 2016, a loan spell in 2021, and a permanent return from 2021 to 2022. He also played for Southampton, Burnley and West Bromwich Albion during his career.
Austin responds to fan reaction
When a fan asked whether he expected to get the QPR job because of his past with the club, Austin replied that there was no hidden agenda, just honest disappointment at missing out on a role at a club he thinks highly of. He said he had nothing but respect for QPR, that the process was fair and professional, and that everyone was great. He repeated that he would keep working hard for his time to come, adding that this just was not his time.
Reaction among fans was mixed. One suggested Austin had posted to get a reaction because of his history with the club, and told him to brush up on his interview skills. Another called the rejection diabolical. Comedian Seann Walsh, a QPR fan, told Austin he would be back.
Austin is currently playing for semi-professional club Hungerford Town, who play in the Southern League Division One South.
