> > AS a youngster, Rodolph Austin knew difficult times. > > Growing up with his father and brother in Jamaica, he learned from a > young age that money was tight. The sports-mad schoolboy never went to bed > hungry but those formative years were, by his own admission, far from easy > for the Austin family in the Clarendon parish that sits towards the > southern tip of the Caribbean island. > > Austin, now 27 and the driving force of the Leeds United midfield, used > sport as an escape with cricket and football filling his days. > > Skills honed on the playing fields of his village soon marked him out as > budding talent and Austin went on to captain his high school team in both > sports. > > Football eventually won the battle for his affections, as a career that > has taken him from winning the domestic league in Jamaica with Portmore > United to the engine room of the Elland Road midfield via four years in > Norway proves. But Austin was a cricketer of some repute, particularly with > the bat. By his own admission, he “tried to hit a boundary with every shot”. > > “Life was hard when I was younger,” said the United midfielder to the > *Yorkshire > Post* ahead of today’s Championship date with Nottingham Forest at Elland > Road. > > “I grew up with my father and my brother. It was hard but he always > provided stuff. I never went to bed hungry. > > “It may not have been easy growing up but I have always tried my best to > have a better life and be able to help them out. Football has allowed me to > do that, which is great. > > “At school, I loved sport. It was football and cricket for me. And my > schoolwork as well, of course. But mainly sport.” > > The last three words are delivered with a broad smile and a wink, inviting > the follow-up question of just how prolific he was with bat and ball as a > child. > > “I was an all-rounder at cricket and enjoyed it,” says the softly-spoken > midfielder. “I had fun growing up, even though life was hard. > > “Cricket was something I really enjoyed. I bowled medium pace and batted > No 3. > > “I was the type who tried to hit a boundary with every shot. I was the > captain of my high school team in the Headley Cup and we did well. > > “But I ended up choosing football. Before, I’d played football and cricket > 50-50. But football started to go better for me. I always played midfield > or defence. I was never a striker. > > “The thing that changed for me was when my school played in the DaCosta > Cup, the highest level in school football. I did very well and in my final > year at school, I got called up to the national Under-20s team. > > “We went to Germany and, again, I played really well. After that, I said, > ‘This is it’. And I dropped cricket to stay with football. I joined a team > called Portmore United at 19 and in my first year we won everything.” > > Eight years on from his first taste of domestic success back home, Austin > is hoping for more of the same in England. > > His summer move to Leeds was a case of being third time lucky after > previous transfers to Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers collapsed through > a combination of work permit issues and SK Brann, his club in Norway, > putting an exorbitant fee on his head. > > To most footballers, missing out on a move to the Premier League would > have been a major cause for regret. Austin, however, is a laid-back > character who doesn’t waste time dwelling on what might have been. > > Instead, he prefers to focus on the present – which in Norway included the > midfielder being named as the 2011 Player of the Year in the Eliteserien > League. > > As enjoyable as his four years in Scandinavia were, however, the lure of > English football remained and he was delighted to finally be able to make > the transition this year after Neil Warnock came calling. > > “I went to Stoke in 2008 and a transfer looked like it would happen but > then I didn’t get the work permit,” said Austin, who netted in Jamaica’s > 2-1 World Cup qualifier win over the USA earlier this month. “After that, I > went to Norway and signed for SK Brann on a one-year loan. > > “The following year, I still didn’t get the permit for Stoke so Brann took > the option to sign me permanently. I was very grateful for that as it meant > I could clear my head, knowing I was going to be at the club for four years. > > “I am not a person who questions why things don’t happen, I just look to > the things that do happen. > > “When QPR were interested, I didn’t know my club were asking too much. As > I say, I don’t question things like that. If something doesn’t happen, I > just move on to the next part of life. There is no point sitting down and > thinking about things that you don’t have control over. > > “And Norway was a fantastic place to live in, probably the best there is. > For kids growing up, it is peaceful. It can be expensive but I have no > problems at all with Norway. I would live there again if I needed to. It is > a nice place and well run.” > > Austin spent four years in Norway but it was only in his final full season > that Brann’s fans saw the very best of him. > > “I moved there when I was 23 and it helped me a lot,” he said. “I grew a > lot as a person. I spent a lot of time there on my own until my wife came > over (ahead of the 2011 season). > > “We grew up together so when she came, that is when my best season > happened. I won everything that year. Things like best player for the > league and Player of the Year for my club. > > “Norway helped me develop as a player and a person. That is why I don’t > regret going there for four years. I think I am a better player for it and > have more experience.” > > Leeds are now benefiting from those years spent honing his skills in > Norway with Austin already having two goals to his name from eight > appearances. > > “The most I have managed in a season is eight,” he said. “So to have two > already is great. I do like shooting and I hope there are a lot more to > come because I am really enjoying being a Leeds United player.” > Dr Michael Benjamin, Community Psychiatrist ------------------------------- myRay: On-line Self-Help CBT http://www.myRay.com http://www.myRay.org ------------------------------ Mental Health: http//www.MyDoctorExplains.com -------------------------------- Auditing || Quality Control http://www.MyDoctorExplains.com/alamo/ -------------------------------- Blog: http://www.DrMichaelBenjamin.com _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected]
PETE CASS (1962 - 2011) Rest In Peace Mate
