Kevin Austin
I always thought Kevin Austin looked a cut above the players around him, although perhaps that is my memory of an important period in our history colouring things a little. He was strong, quick and capable defensively, with the timing to make a tackle rather than simply relying on his physical presence. We remember him as the player the fans helped buy, but I also remember somebody who looked equipped to play higher. He got that opportunity with Barnsley in the old First Division, joining on a free transfer in 1999, before a serious Achilles injury disrupted his chance to establish himself.
The Austin I’d want is the one who left us and went into that Barnsley side, before the injury took its toll. He could play at left-back, but I think the left of our back three would be an excellent home for him, giving us a defender with the pace and strength to impose himself on opponents. He wasn’t a six-foot-four giant, yet he had that presence which made him look physically capable of dealing with whatever came his way.
Put that version of Kevin Austin into Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw’s team, and I think he’d fit very nicely indeed.
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