West Bromwich Albion striker Charlie Austin has revealed that a personal chat with Slaven Bilic convinced him to join the Baggies from Southampton before the summer transfer deadline. Austin had spent the past three-and-a-half years with the Saints but he chose to pursue a fresh challenge elsewhere after falling out-of-favour under Ralph Hasenhuttl.
In an interview with the Last Word Podcast, Austin talked about the Bilic phone call and said that he was convinced by the approach from the former West Ham United boss, he told: “He said ‘Charlie how are you? We scored so many goals last year, so many balls in the box. I’m not going to change anything about you, I want you to come here, be my number nine and score me loads of goals like you have done in your career. He said ‘I’ll get the service from the lads to you, and we’re going to have a good season together. I must’ve been on the phone two minutes and I put the phone down and said to my wife – ‘I’m going to do it’. do it, are we not?”
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