| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1994-02-15)15 February 1994 (age 31) | ||
| Place of birth | Hertfordshire, England[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | East Fife | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| East Wemyss District U15 | |||
| –2013 | Leven United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2016 | East Fife | 72 | (28) |
| 2016–2017 | Falkirk | 31 | (7) |
| 2016 | →East Fife (loan) | 15 | (8) |
| 2018–2019 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 35 | (10) |
| 2019–2023 | Kelty Hearts | 34 | (49) |
| 2021 | →East Fife (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2023– | East Fife | 30 | (13) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:16, 10 March 2024 (UTC) | |||
Nathan Austin (born 15 February 1994) is anEnglish professionalfootballer, who plays as astriker forScottish League Two clubEast Fife.[2] He has also previously played forFalkirk,Inverness Caledonian Thistle andKelty Hearts.
Austin, born inHertfordshire, England[1] moved to Scotland with his family in 2001 at the age of seven.[3] Whilst playing for youth side East Wemyss District under-15s, Austin came to the attention of the media after being subjected to racist abuse during matches for the side.[3] Initially it was reported that he was to quit football because of the abuse,[3] however he vowed to persevere after receiving support from the public[4] and then-Scottish FA chief executiveGordon Smith.[5] Eventually Austin signed for amateur side Leven United, before moving on toScottish League One sideEast Fife in July 2013.[6][7]
Austin made his debut for theMethil club in theScottish Challenge Cup againstForfar Athletic, coming on as an 85th minute substitute forScott McBride[8] and his first goal for the side came in a 1–0 defeat ofArbroath in January 2014.[9] His second season with the club saw him improve on the five goals he scored in his debut season, with thestriker netting 14 times in competitive 38 matches, including ahat-trick againstThreave Rovers in theScottish Cup[10] and four in theleague againstElgin City in a 3–5 victory.[11] His third season with East Fife started even more brightly, and by January 2016 Austin had scored 16 goals in 25 appearances, adding two further hat-tricks to his score-sheet against bothMontrose[12] andStirling Albion.[13] His performances attracted the attention of a number oftop-tier sides, withMotherwell,Aberdeen andDundee all reported as targeting Austin for a potential move.[7] Austin was eventually signed byScottish Championship sideFalkirk on 15 January 2016, with the player remaining atBayview Stadium on loan for the remainder of the season as part of the deal.[14]
Austin continued to lead the line prolifically for the Fifers in the second half of the season; he scored one goal and assisted another the day after his transfer to Falkirk in a 4–2 win away toAnnan Athletic,[15] and also scored the following week in a 3–1 away victory atEast Stirling.[16] East Fife were to go on a great run of form towards the business end of the season, and eventually finished top ofLeague Two, ensuring promotion toLeague One and giving Austin a league winners medal.[17][18]
Austin spent just under two years with Falkirk, before being released from his contract in December 2017. He then signed forInverness Caledonian Thistle,[19] and made his debut in a 1–1 draw againstLivingston on 2 January 2018. He scored his first hat-trick for the club on 14 April 2018, in 5–1 win againstDumbarton.
In May 2019, Austin signed forLowland League sideKelty Hearts.[2] He was loaned toEast Fife in March 2021.[20]
However three years on Austin has now returned home toEast Fife from Kelty Hearts and signed a two-year contract in June 2023.
Austin's younger brother Jordan was also a footballer and played alongside him atEast Fife in Nathan's first spell at the club.[21]
| Club | Season | League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| East Fife | 2013–14[22] | Scottish League One | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[a] | 1 | 29 | 5 |
| 2014–15[23] | Scottish League Two | 30 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5[b] | 1 | 38 | 14 | |
| 2015–16[24] | 20 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1[c] | 0 | 25 | 16 | ||
| East Fife Total | 72 | 28 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 92 | 35 | ||
| Falkirk | 2015–16[24] | Scottish Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016–17[25] | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2[d] | 0 | 23 | 7 | ||
| 2017–18[26] | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3[c] | 1 | 21 | 5 | ||
| Falkirk Total | 31 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 44 | 13 | ||
| East Fife (loan) | 2015–16[24] | Scottish League Two | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8 |
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 2017–18[26] | Scottish Championship | 27 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3[c] | 1 | 34 | 11 |
| 2018–19 | 23 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2[d] | 0 | 35 | 7 | ||
| Inverness Total | 50 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 69 | 18 | ||
| Kelty Hearts | 2019–20 | Lowland League | 25 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 37 |
| Career total | 178 | 83 | 12 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 21 | 4 | 231 | 103 | ||
East Fife
Kelty Hearts
