Brandon Austin said his conversations with Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou played a significant role in his future with the Spurs.
Austin has been working hard behind the scenes for years, ranked highly as a shot stopper within the team but without making a competitive appearance. He played first team football on loan in Denmark at Viborg and in the USA at Orlando City and has continued to improve over time.
He is now ready to appear in recent seasons from the bench after Hugo Lloris and Fraser Forster were injured, but he was never called upon.
Therefore with Austin’s contract ending this summer, there were some questions on whether he would leave the Spurs to try his luck as number one somewhere else or sign a short-term extension with them. In the end, the team reinforced their faith in him with a brand new five-year contract.
So was it difficult to dedicate five years of his career to a club where he had served for nine years without ever appearing in a competitive game?
“I think a career for a goalkeeper is different,” he told football.london. “For a goalkeeper, I’m still fairly young and I think with what we’re building here at the club, conversations with the manager and what we do on a daily basis at the training ground is really exciting and really positive and something that I wanted to be a part of. I really see myself that I can fit in here and help to bring something really positive and bring success at the club.
“Obviously it’s a nice feeling to be offered that contract and to get that sorted. I’m really pleased with that and looking forward to the next few years ahead.”
Forster is still absent after fracturing his foot in training back in February. The veteran former England goalkeeper was initially expected to be out for two months but has not yet returned for almost six months. With the long contract in place for Austin, it suggests that he will finally be an official number two to Vicario. However, he says that he cannot confirm this yet.
“I think we just have to see what the manager chooses to do. We’re still in pre-season now and with injuries, I don’t think it’s necessarily clear about what things will be. All I can do is focus on myself and work hard in training and take any opportunities that I do get,” said the stopper.
