Charles Austin (born 5 July 1989) is an English striker whose unconventional path to football stardom began when Reading released him at age 15 for being "too small", after which he worked as a bricklayer while playing non-league football. His big breakthrough came in the 2008–09 season with Poole Town, where he scored an astonishing 46 goals in 46 appearances, leading Swindon Town to sign him in 2009. After thriving at Swindon, he netted 58 goals in 113 Championship matches for Burnley and Queens Park Rangers, earning his Premier League debut in 2014–15 with QPR, where he scored 18 goals despite the team's relegation and received his first England national team call-up. In January 2016, he signed for Southampton and made an instant impact by scoring the winning goal against Manchester United on his debut. Currently playing for his hometown side Hungerford Town in the Southern League, Austin's remarkable journey from non-league bricklayer to Premier League scorer and international player makes him one of football's most inspiring underdog stories.