BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
In-demand East Fife star Nathan Austin hopes to finally realise his dream of reaching full-time football after being linked with Aberdeen, Motherwell and Dundee.
The 21-year-old, who recently signed a contract extension to 2017, has bagged 15 goals this term and manager Gary Naysmith has admitted he expects offers for the player this month.
A host of Premiership and Championship clubs are thought to be monitoring the striker, who found the net against top-flight Motherwell in the League Cup earlier this season.
Austin arrived at Bayview from local Juniors Leven United in 2013, having been briefly on the books of Rangers as a schoolboy.
He said: “I want to reach full-time football and, when the time is right, hopefully I can achieve that.
“When anyone says nice things about you, or your name gets mentioned, then it is flattering. But you can’t pay too much attention to that – you need to keep focusing on your game.
“Before I signed my contract here, the manager told me that if I don’t reach full-time football then I will have underachieved.
“So that is something I strive for and I know plenty of other boys here have the same aim.”
Improve
Heaping praise on current gaffer Naysmith, Austin is adamant he is at the perfect club to progress – and will not panic if he doesn’t win a big move this month.
Austin added: “There have been times when I’ve not been taking chances or scoring goals, and the manager has always kept faith in me and trusting me.
“So, if a move doesn’t happen for me this January, then it’s not something I will be disappointed about. I’ll just keep working hard and trying to improve.”
