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Rodolph William Austin (born 1 June 1985) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Portmore United.
He is renowned as a tough tackling central midfielder who can play in attacking and central midfield as well as a central defender.
He began his career at Portmore United, where he won two Jamaica National Premier League titles and the CFU Club Championship. In 2008, he moved to Norway's SK Brann, contesting four Tippeligaen seasons before moving to Leeds United in July 2012. He spent three seasons at the Championship club, scoring eight goals in 101 appearances, and briefly captained the side.
Austin is captain of the Jamaica national team, for whom he debuted in 2004. He was part of their squads in three victorious Caribbean Cup tournaments, as well as three CONCACAF Gold Cups and the 2015 Copa América.
Austin made his Brann debut in the 1–3 defeat against Bodø/Glimt on 31 August 2008, coming on as a substitute in the last 20 minutes. He debuted in European competition three weeks later with a 2–0 win against Deportivo de La Coruña in the UEFA Cup. Stoke didn't activate their option because Austin couldn't get a work permit in England, and on 27 February 2009, Austin signed a four-year deal with Brann in a transfer worth Pound sterling1,000,000.
In January 2011, Austin was subject to a bid from Queens Park Rangers under manager Neil Warnock after a trial spell at the club, however Brann rejected the bid. After playing 25 matches and scoring seven goals during the 2011 season, Austin won the SK Brann Player of the Season award. He also won the NISO Award as the best player in the 2011 Tippeligaen.
On 13 July 2012, Austin was linked with a move to Leeds United, where Warnock was now in charge after being sacked by QPR in 2011, and Leeds were said to have had a £200,000 bid rejected. Austin revealed he was hoping the move would be completed, revealing that former Leeds player and former Brann teammate Eirik Bakke was a big influence on his desire to join the club. Austin scored a long range effort against Aalesunds FK on 22 July to help earn SK Brann a 2–1 victory, with Austin picking up his 5th booking of the season and as a result a one match ban he revealed it would be his last game for the club.
Austin made his competitive début for Leeds in the first game of the season against Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup on 11 August, followed by a league début for Leeds in their 1–0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers. His first goal for the club came in August 2012 in a League Cup match against Oxford United, his first league goal coming against Cardiff City from a free kick in September 2012. Austin scored a further League Cup goal in Leeds' 2–1 victory against Premiership side Everton in the same month. After picking up an injury on international duty, Austin was rested for the match against Charlton Athletic on 23 October.
In a game against Watford in November of the same year, following his stretchering off due to what was initially suspected as broken a leg the game saw Leeds go down to 9 men, with Jason Pearce having already received a red card for Leeds. Scans after the game revealed Austin had not broken his leg but had however cracked his ankle bone and would be ruled out for several months.
Austin returned from injury several months ahead of schedule when he came back into the starting line-up against Nottingham Forest on 26 December. Austin scored an own goal in a 4–2 loss. Austin was sent off for an elbow on Ashley Barnes in Leeds 2–1 loss against Brighton & Hove Albion on 27 April. The subsequent three match ban meant that Austin missed the first two matches of the 2013–14 season.
After a shock 2–0 FA Cup defeat against Rochdale on 4 January 2014 and then a 6–0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday, on 11 January Austin spoke with the club manager Brian McDermott and decided to step down as the club captain; the captaincy was handed over to Ross McCormack.
On 28 February 2015, Austin scored a long range volley for Leeds in a 3–2 defeat against Watford. On 4 April, Austin was given a straight red card and a three-game ban for an off the ball incident against Blackburn Rovers in a 3–0 defeat.
On 2 May 2015, Austin won the Goal Of The Season award at Leeds United's official end of 2014–15 season awards ceremony for his strike against Watford. On 13 May 2015, Austin's contract was not renewed by Leeds United and he was released by the club.
Austin scored a freekick in a famous victory for Jamaica against USA on 7 September 2012, to help earn Jamaica a historic 2–1 victory to beat the USMNT for the first time in 19 matches.
He won the Caribbean Cup for the third time, and his second MVP award, as Jamaica captain in the 2014 edition, scoring the winning goal in a 4–3 penalty shootout victory over Trinidad and Tobago.
Austin captained Jamaica at the 2015 Copa América, their first entry into the South American championship. He played every minute of their campaign, as they were eliminated from the group stage, losing all three matches and not scoring, including facing Lionel Messi in Jamaica's 1–0 defeat against Argentina, a game which saw Messi win his 100th Cap for Argentina.
Later in 2015, he captained Jamaica to their first ever final of the Gold Cup, scoring one goal in the process, before losing 3–1 to Mexico in the final.
In the 2016 Copa Americana, Austin received a straight red in the opening game vs. Venezuela after a harsh challenge in the 24th minute.
| + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | |||
| SK Brann | 2008 | Tippeligaen | 2 |
| 2009 | 3 | ||
| 2010 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | 8 | ||
| 2012 | 4 | ||
| Leeds United | 2012–13 | Championship | 4 |
| 2013–14 | 3 | ||
| 2014–15 | 3 | ||
| Brøndby IF | 2015–16 | Danish Superliga | 1 |
| 2016–17 | 2 | ||
| Esbjerg fB | 2017–18 | Danish 1st Division | 1 |
| 2018–19 | Danish Superliga | 4 | |
| 2019–20 | 1 | ||
| + List of international goals scored by Rodolph Austin |
| Exhibition game |
| 2008 Caribbean Cup |
| Friendly |
| 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2014 Caribbean Cup |
| 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Individual
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