# Mitch Austin

Mitchell Gregory Reginald Austin (born 3 April 1991) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a winger and is currently a free agent.
Born in England to an Australian father, Austin began his senior career at Stalybridge Celtic in 2010. Three years later, he joined Cambridge United and, after loans to Lincoln City, Brackley Town and Southport in 2014, Austin moved to Australian side Central Coast Mariners in 2015. He remained in Australia for four more years, playing at Melbourne Victory, Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC. In 2019 Austin moved to Scotland, playing one year for Partick Thistle.

## Early life

Mitch Austin was born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester on 3 April 1991. He has a twin sister named Brittany. His father is the Australian rugby league, and rugby union footballer Greg Austin. He left England at the age of eight when his father retired from playing professional rugby and moved the family back to Australia.

## Club career
### Youth football

Austin was a Manly United junior in Sydney, Australia. He was spotted by the scouts of Rotherham United in 2009 whilst on a tour of the UK with Manly United and was offered a scholarship with the youth academy.

### Stalybridge Celtic

In 2010, he joined Conference North team Stalybridge Celtic.

### Cambridge United

After making 71 league appearances, in 2013, he joined Conference team Cambridge United.
In 2014, he was loaned to Lincoln City to get more first team opportunities. But Cambridge soon recalled Austin, and declined Lincoln’s request for an extension to the loan. Though weeks later he signed for Brackley Town again on loan. On 31 January 2014, his loan was extended till March.
On 13 September 2014, he made his professional debut for Cambridge United against Dagenham and Redbridge.
In May 2015, Cambridge United announced, that Austin was one out of 12 players, who would leave the club in the summer 2015 expressing his wish to return to Australia.

### Central Coast Mariners

On 1 June 2015, Central Coast Mariners announced that they had signed Austin to a two-year contract. After making 23 appearances in the first year of his contract, Austin asked to terminate his second year and was released by Central Coast Mariners.

### Melbourne Victory

On 17 June 2016, Melbourne Victory confirmed the signing of Austin as a straight swap for winger Connor Pain.
He made an outstanding start to his Victory career, earning Man of the Match honours in the club's pre-season friendly win over Juventus at the MCG.
Austin suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in training in November 2017, ruling him out for several months.
On 1 February 2018, Austin was selected to represent Melbourne Victory in the E-League's inaugural season, alongside Mouad Zwed, becoming one of a handful of professional football players to compete in e-sports as well.

### Partick Thistle

Austin signed with Scottish Championship club Partick Thistle in July 2019 on a one-year deal. Austin chose kit number 77 for the 2019–20 season. On 11 January 2020, Austin made his first team debut after suffering an injury in July 2019. Austin only made two appearances for Partick Thistle before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Austin left Thistle in March 2020 during the pandemic to return home to his family in Australia.
Since his departure from Thistle, Austin has been in a state of free agency for more than five years due to an injury necessitating two cartilage transplants, during which time he has awaited suitable donors for the surgical procedures.

## Career statistics

    As of 6 February 2019
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Continental | Continental | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 2010–11 | Conference North | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 2011–12 | Conference North | 27 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 2012–13 | Conference North | 37 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 11 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | Total | Total | 69 | 10 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 13 |
| Cambridge United | 2013–14 | Conference Premier | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Cambridge United | 2014–15 | Football League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cambridge United | Total | Total | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Lincoln City (loan) | 2013–14 | Conference Premier | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Brackley Town (loan) | 2013–14 | Conference North | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Brackley Town (loan) | 2014–15 | Conference North | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Brackley Town (loan) | Total | Total | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| Southport (loan) | 2014–15 | Conference Premier | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 2015–16 | A-League | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 5 |
| Melbourne Victory | 2016–17 | A-League | 19 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 |
| Melbourne Victory | 2017–18 | A-League | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Melbourne Victory | Total | Total | 24 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 5 |
| Newcastle Jets | 2018–19 | A-League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Sydney FC | 2018–19 | A-League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Partick Thistle | 2019–20 | Scottish Championship | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 156 | 21 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 192 | 25 |

## Honours

Cambridge United
* FA Trophy: 2013–14