WEST BROM striker Charlie Austin has revealed that he was the subject of interest from Celtic back in 2013. The 30-year-old was at Burnley at the time of Celtic selling Gary Hooper to Norwich City and it looked as if Neil Lennon was looking to bring the former Swindon Town striker to Celtic Park.

Whilst the move never materialised, Austin has said to Open Goal’s Keeping the Ball on the Ground podcast that he would have been up for a move to Celtic.

“I think it was at the time when Gary Hooper was linked to leave six months before he went to Norwich.

“I remember coming into training and Neil Lennon did an interview on Sky Sports saying ‘he’s someone that we’re looking at’.

“I was on the phone to my agent saying, ‘look is this going to happen?’

“It’s something that I would have done. At the time, it was just me, my missus and my one child and I said, ‘let’s go’.

“But nothing ever materialised after that and nothing has since.”

Celtic opted for Teemu Pukki and Amido Balde whilst Austin left Turf Moor for QPR in a £4m deal. Austin then got a move to Southampton, where he played with Celtic’s Fraser Forster and ex-Celt Virgil Van Dijk.

4th March 2020; Almondvale Stadium, Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland; Scottish Premiership Football, Livingston versus Celtic;

Austin rates Forster as the best keeper he’s played with.

“He was unfortunate that Joe Hart was England number one while he played for Man City.

“When I went there, he was top drawer. The best goalie I’ve played with I would say.

“It was a strange one. Him and Al McCarthy were very good together.

“Then they brought in Angus Gunn and just left him as fourth choice. It was mad.”

Whilst Austin is set for a return to the Premier League with Slaven Bilić’s West Brom, he has stated that he would be open to a move to Scotland in the future.

“Yeah I think so. The Old Firm derby is the pull isn’t it to play in Scotland.

“You want to win things as such too. If the opportunity came up would I go? I think so yeah.”

Austin, who spent a season with Si Ferry at Swindon was a surprise guest on the award winning podcast show. Despite coronavirus, they are continuing to provide quality content for football supporters.

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