1. Overview
Rodolph William Austin (born June 1, 1985) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Portmore United. He is recognized as a formidable central midfielder known for his tough tackling, and possesses the versatility to play in both attacking and central midfield roles, as well as a central defender. Austin's career spans successful stints in Jamaica, Norway, England, and Denmark, culminating in a return to his boyhood club. He has served as captain for the Jamaica national team and achieved significant international success, including multiple Caribbean Cup victories and reaching the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
2. Early life and background
Rodolph William Austin was born on June 1, 1985, in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica. He began his football career at a young age, joining Portmore United, a prominent club in his native Jamaica, where he laid the foundation for his professional career.
3. Club career
Rodolph Austin's professional club career began in Jamaica before moving to Europe, where he played for clubs in Norway, England, and Denmark, eventually returning to his home country.
3.1. Portmore United (first stint)
Austin commenced his professional journey at Portmore United in Jamaica in 2005. During his initial tenure with the club, he made 75 appearances and scored 6 goals. He was a key part of the team's success, winning two Jamaica National Premier League titles in 2005 and 2008. Additionally, he secured the CFU Club Championship in 2005 and lifted the JFF Champions Cup twice, in 2005 and 2007.
3.2. SK Brann
In August 2008, Austin was linked with a move to Stoke City, but the transfer fell through after he was refused a work permit on appeal. Following this, he signed a one-year loan deal with Norwegian club Brann, with an agreement that Stoke would have an option to buy him until February 1, 2009, and if they declined, Brann would have the option until June 30.
Austin made his debut for Brann on August 31, 2008, as a substitute in a 1-3 defeat against Bodø/Glimt. Three weeks later, he debuted in European competition with a 2-0 victory over Deportivo de La Coruña in the UEFA Cup. As Stoke did not activate their option due to Austin's inability to secure an English work permit, Brann signed him on a four-year deal on February 27, 2009, in a transfer worth 1.00 M GBP.
In January 2011, Queens Park Rangers, under manager Neil Warnock, made a bid for Austin after a trial spell, but Brann rejected the offer. During the 2011 season, Austin played 25 matches and scored 7 goals, earning him the SK Brann Player of the Season award. He also received the NISO Award as the best player in the 2011 Tippeligaen, and Brann finished fourth in the league. Austin was also part of the team that reached the 2011 Norwegian Cup final, where they were runners-up. On July 22, 2012, Austin scored a long-range goal against Aalesund in a 2-1 victory. After picking up his fifth booking of the season, resulting in a one-match ban, he announced that this would be his last game for the club.
3.3. Leeds United
3.4. 2012-13 season
On July 23, 2012, SK Brann accepted a bid from Leeds United for Austin, a move confirmed by Leeds United subject to a successful work permit application. Austin was assigned the number 8 shirt for the 2012-13 season. He made his competitive debut for Leeds in the first game of the season against Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup on August 11, followed by his league debut in a 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers. His first goal for the club came in August 2012 in a League Cup match against Oxford United. He scored his first league goal from a free kick against Cardiff City in September 2012, and another League Cup goal in Leeds' 2-1 victory against Premiership side Everton in the same month.
After suffering an injury on international duty, Austin was rested for the match against Charlton Athletic on October 23. In November 2012, during a game against Watford, Austin was stretchered off, initially suspected of a broken leg, in a match where Leeds was reduced to nine men following Jason Pearce's red card. Scans later revealed he had a cracked ankle bone, ruling him out for several months. He returned from injury ahead of schedule on December 26, starting against Nottingham Forest, where he unfortunately scored an own goal in a 4-2 loss. On April 27, Austin received a red card for an elbow on Ashley Barnes during Leeds' 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, resulting in a three-match ban that caused him to miss the first two matches of the 2013-14 season.
3.5. 2013-14 season
After serving his suspension, Austin returned to the Leeds United side on August 11, 2013, against Leicester City, and was named the new permanent captain of the club, succeeding Lee Peltier. He received the Man of the Match award for his impressive performance in that game, expressing that the role was a "big honour."
However, following a surprising 2-0 FA Cup defeat against Rochdale on January 4, 2014, and a subsequent 6-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday on January 11, Austin discussed the situation with manager Brian McDermott and decided to step down as club captain. The captaincy was then handed over to Ross McCormack.
3.6. 2014-15 season
On August 1, 2014, Austin was assigned the number 4 shirt for the 2014-15 season. He scored his first goal of the season on September 20 in a 3-0 win over local rivals Huddersfield Town. His second goal came from a penalty in a 1-1 draw against Bolton Wanderers on January 10, 2015. On February 2, 2015, during transfer deadline day, Leeds United released a statement confirming Austin would not be sold despite significant interest from clubs like Wigan Athletic, with Austin also expressing his desire to remain at Leeds.
On February 28, 2015, Austin scored a long-range volley for Leeds in a 3-2 defeat against Watford. On April 4, he received a straight red card and a three-game ban for an off-the-ball incident against Blackburn Rovers in a 3-0 loss. On May 2, 2015, Austin won the Goal of the Season award at Leeds United's official end-of-season awards ceremony for his spectacular strike against Watford. On May 13, 2015, Austin was released by Leeds United after his contract was not renewed.
3.7. Work permit denied
On July 30, 2015, Austin had agreed to a three-year deal with Sheffield Wednesday, but the move was canceled because he was denied a work permit. This denial was due to new Football Association rules requiring non-European Union players to represent a country ranked within FIFA's top 50 over the preceding two years to be eligible for a work permit in England. Austin's agent, Darryl Powell, described the situation as "traumatic," particularly given that Austin's wife and young son reside in England, highlighting the personal impact of such administrative decisions on professional athletes and their families.
3.8. Brøndby IF
After being unable to secure a work permit for England, Austin signed a two-year contract with Danish club Brøndby on September 9, 2015. During his time at Brøndby, the team finished fourth in the Danish Superliga in the 2015-16 season and reached the semi-finals of the Danish Cup. In the 2016-17 season, Brøndby finished as runners-up in the league. Austin left the club in the summer of 2017 upon the expiration of his contract.
3.9. Esbjerg fB
On July 16, 2017, after leaving Brøndby, Austin signed with Esbjerg, a club newly relegated to the Danish 1st Division. He signed a two-year contract and was given the number 8 shirt. During his four years at Esbjerg, he contributed to the club's success, including a runner-up finish in the 2017-18 Danish 1st Division, which secured promotion back to the top-tier Danish Superliga. He also helped the team reach the second round of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League qualification. In the 2020-21 season, Esbjerg fB finished third in the Danish 2nd Division. Austin departed from the club at the end of the 2020-21 season.
3.10. Return to Portmore United
On January 1, 2022, Rodolph Austin rejoined his boyhood club, Portmore United, marking a full circle in his club career. He has since continued to contribute to the team, including winning the Lynk Cup in 2023.
4. International career
Rodolph Austin has represented the Jamaica national team extensively, featuring for the U20, U23, and senior national teams since 2004 or 2005. He has been a central figure for the Reggae Boyz for many years, serving as captain from 2015.
He won the Caribbean Cup with Jamaica three times: in 2008, 2010, and 2014. Austin was named the Most Valuable Player for the tournament in both 2010 and 2014. On September 7, 2012, Austin scored a free-kick in a historic 2-1 victory for Jamaica against the United States, marking their first win over the U.S. in 19 matches. As Jamaica's captain, he scored the winning goal in a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Trinidad and Tobago in the 2014 Caribbean Cup final.
Austin captained Jamaica at the 2015 Copa América, the nation's first entry into the South American championship. He played every minute of their campaign, though they were eliminated from the group stage, losing all three matches without scoring. This included a 1-0 defeat against Argentina, a game notable for Lionel Messi earning his 100th cap for Argentina. Later in 2015, Austin led Jamaica to their first-ever final of the Gold Cup, scoring one goal during the tournament before his team ultimately lost 3-1 to Mexico in the final. In the 2016 Copa América Centenario, Austin received a straight red card in the opening game against Venezuela in the 24th minute after a harsh challenge. He retired from international football after the 2016 Copa América Centenario, accumulating a total of 84 international appearances and 7 goals.
5. In media
Beyond his on-field performances, Rodolph Austin also featured in Brann's 2011 Norwegian Football Cup final song by the band Fjorden Baby!. The song was a remake of "World in Motion" by the English band New Order. Austin performed the rap section, which was originally made famous by Jamaican-born England international John Barnes.
6. Career statistics
6.1. Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brann | 2008 | Tippeligaen | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| 2009 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | ||
| 2010 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 8 | ||
| 2012 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 | ||
| Total | 90 | 15 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 106 | 17 | ||
| Leeds United | 2012-13 | Championship | 31 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 4 |
| 2013-14 | 40 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 3 | ||
| 2014-15 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 3 | ||
| Total | 101 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 10 | ||
| Brøndby | 2015-16 | Danish Superliga | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 2 | ||
| Total | 40 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 3 | ||
| Esbjerg | 2017-18 | Danish 1st Division | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | Danish Superliga | 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 4 | |
| 2019-20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
| Total | 61 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 292 | 31 | 31 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 328 | 36 | ||
6.2. International statistics
Austin has made 84 appearances for the Jamaica national team, scoring 7 goals.
6.2.1. International goals
Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Austin goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 18, 2007 | Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica | El Salvador | 1-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 2 | December 3, 2008 | Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica | Barbados | 1-1 | 2-1 | 2008 Caribbean Cup |
| 3 | August 11, 2010 | Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago | 2-1 | 3-1 | Friendly |
| 4 | September 7, 2012 | Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica | United States | 1-1 | 2-1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | October 15, 2013 | Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica | Honduras | 2-2 | 2-2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | November 14, 2014 | Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica | Antigua and Barbuda | 3-0 | 3-0 | 2014 Caribbean Cup |
| 7 | July 11, 2015 | BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States | Canada | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
7. Honours
Rodolph Austin has accumulated numerous team and individual accolades throughout his football career.
7.1. Club honours
- Portmore United
- Jamaica National Premier League: 2005, 2008
- CFU Club Championship: 2005
- JFF Champions Cup: 2005, 2007
- Lynk Cup: 2023
- Brann
- Tippeligaen: Fourth place 2011
- Norwegian Cup: Runners-up 2011
- Brøndby
- Danish Superliga: Runners-up 2016-17; Fourth place 2015-16
- Danish Cup: Semi-finals 2015-16
- Esbjerg
- Danish 1st Division: Runners-up 2017-18 (promotion); Third place 2020-21
7.2. International honours
- Jamaica
- Caribbean Cup: 2008, 2010, 2014
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: Runners-up 2015
7.3. Individual honours
- SK Brann Player of the Season: 2011
- NISO Award (Best Player in Tippeligaen): 2011
- Verdens Gang Norwegian Premier League Player of the Year: 2011
- Caribbean Cup Most Valuable Player: 2010, 2014
- Leeds United Goal of the Season: 2014-15