FORMER Saints striker Charlie Austin has explained his decision to sign for seventh-tier AFC Totton, after leaving Swindon Town this summer.

Austin, 35, played in all 46 matches of Swindon's 2023/24 League Two campaign but will now be competing in the Southern League at Snows Stadium.

The former Poole Town man has played 111 times in the Premier League, scoring 34 goals, and made 81 appearances for Saints between 2016 and 2019.

Austin had a public falling out with the club's supporters on social media platform Twitter, now known as X, but is set to return to the local area. 

"I think it was more along the family lines, I know where I am physically and mentally," Austin explained, in a new interview at Snows. 

Charlie Austin scored 12 League Two goals last season for SwindonCharlie Austin scored 12 League Two goals last season for Swindon (Image: PA)

"I think I just wanted to spend more time with family. I do football with my son, training midweek, and it’s something I didn’t want to miss out on."

Austin explains how new Stags director of football James Beattie - the legendary Saints striker - helped engineer the deal this summer. 

He added: "Beatts got in touch with me - and I appreciate it wasn’t an easy deal to make, but the football club showed real patience with me to make it happen.

"I was very appreciative of that and now it’s about playing with a smile on my face and helping the football club.

"There isn’t much else to tell, he got in touch with me in May and asked me about my situation, what I was thinking of doing.

"I told him I still wanted to play in the Football League but it was about what opportunities would arise throughout the summer," Austin said. 

"I went on holiday and we stayed in contact, before it came to a point where he just asked me if I wanted to come down and train, they knew I had been training on my own.

"I said I wasn’t too sure but I went away on one last family holiday and the penny dropped, I just rang him and told him I wanted to do the deal.

"It was as simple as that, there’s no glitz or glamour in it but the patience the club has shown has been brilliant and I am really appreciative of that."

AFC Totton hope Austin will make his debut for the club in Saturday's home friendly against Forest Green Rovers, which is set for a 3pm kick-off.

They begin their league season looking to go one better than beaten play-off finalists when they host Walton & Hersham on Saturday, August 10.