Brandon Austin on Vicario, training standards, helping newcomers and repaying the Club’s faith

One of our own...

He’s been at the Club since the age of eight and is a product of our Academy system - but Brandon Austin isn’t a kid anymore.

"It’s really special to be here and it’s been amazing, the journey that we’ve been on in the last few years..."
Brandon Austin, Hotspur Way - May, 2024

Now 25 years of age and a regular face around our first team squad for the last several seasons, the talented goalkeeper recently put pen-to-paper on a new five-year deal with us through until 2029.

In this extended interview with the Hemel Hempstead-born stopper, he talks about passing on his skills, passion and knowledge of the Club to those coming in the door, what it’s like to work with Guglielmo Vicario and how he keeps himself ready for action in the face of a big show of trust from the Club…

Back in the day - Brandon faces the camera in our photocall in 2016...

First of all, Brandon, how do you feel about signing your new contract?

“It’s a great feeling to extend my stay here. I really feel that the Club is family and with everything that’s going on, I’m really excited to be a part of the project moving forward. It’s been a good journey for me so far. Since starting here when I was eight years old, it’s been a long journey, one with lots of different experiences, obviously with my Academy days, I’ve seen a lot of people come and go and then breaking through into the first team squad, it’s been an amazing experience and one that I’m excited to continue with.”

Brandon trains at Hotspur Way in October, 2023...

Brandon in action in 2018...

What have you learned during your time in the first team squad?

“I’ve learned a lot, I think that’s evident, but I’d say what’s most important is how together we are as a group. The camaraderie in the changing room, the standards and the level of training is really top – it’s world class – and that’s what we have to demand from each other every day so we can reach the heights that we want to achieve.”

Brandon gets into the zone pre-match before last season's finale at Sheffield United...

Brandon in the warm-up ahead of last season's win against Palace in March...

How do you view your role in the squad?

“It's one where you always have to be ready. Even if you’re not playing, you still have to be ready, focused and ready to play your part if called upon. Outside of that it’s just helping to make sure that the team is in the best shape to go and perform, whether that’s being supportive with encouragement in the changing room or on a day-to-day basis in training, just making sure that your training levels are top and that we’re really pushing each other so that come game day, everybody is ready to go.”

Brandon in full flow at Hotspur Way - March, 2024...

How do you approach your role on a daily basis?

“I think it’s about making sure that your standards remain high every day, not allowing yourself to sit back because you never know when you might be called upon, so you have to be ready for that moment when it comes. Also, by keeping those standards high, that just helps the whole team because then everybody has to be performing at their best level. The competition in training every week is always high.”

Brandon all focus before training - April, 2024...

Brandon with Guglielmo Vicario - December, 2023...

What has it been like to work with Guglielmo Vicario, who played every game but one (in the Carabao Cup) last season?

“It’s been great to work with Vic. Obviously we’ve seen his performances on the pitch, alongside that he’s a top guy, a really nice guy who is fun to work with and again, he keeps his standards really high, he’s very professional so there’s lots that I can take from his game. Everybody in the goalkeeping department, we always seem to have a good knit there. The keepers’ union is strong, so it’s good to be training with them every day.”

"The keepers’ union is strong, so it’s good to be training with them every day..."

Guglielmo Vicario...

Do you think you have a similar playing style to Vicario?

“The coaching staff are really clear on what they want from the goalkeepers and again, I think it’s evident in our games. The tactical and the positional awareness that we need to have, we always have constant discussions about that and they make it clear what they want from us, so again, you just have to be ready, you need to make sure that you can step in and fill those shoes if called upon.”

The goalkeepers' union - Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman, coach Rob Burch, Guglielmo Vicario and Brandon...

You’re obviously quite familiar to the staff in the goalkeeping department as well…

“All the coaching staff are obviously great, top coaches who I’m very grateful for. Some of them have played a big part in my journey here - Perry Suckling (now our women’s first team goalkeeper coach), from when I joined the Club at eight years of age, he was the one who brought me in and he’s always been a big advocate of mine, and then Burchy (Rob Burch, men’s first team goalkeeper coach) as well. A bit later on in my schoolboy journey, he came into the Academy and he helped take my game to the next level and to have him back as the first team goalkeeper coach now is nice, I feel like we’ve built up a good relationship over the years and I think that reflects on the training pitch.”

As someone who has been here for so long, do you now feel a responsibility to help some of the new faces arriving at the Club to settle in?

“It’s definitely a new squad, we’ve had some new players coming in and being here from such a young age and being here around the first team for a while now, it’s definitely something that I can try to do and help other players, but I feel like as a group generally we still have some very experienced players here like Sonny and Ben Davies who have been around and played lots of games for us, so they can definitely help to bring everybody together as a collective, as a team.”

Brandon in action in a friendly at Hotspur Way - December, 2022...

Similarly, what’s it like to be able to help some of our young Academy goalkeepers whenever they come up to train with the first team - a position you were once in yourself?

“It’s nice to have those boys come up and train with us from time to time. It’s kind of strange because I was once in that position, maybe under different circumstances with different coaches, but the feeling is still the same – I can sort of see myself in them when they come up and train, so it’s nice for me to now be a bit older and more experienced and I can sort of help them through that and help them to understand what’s required of them when they come up with the levels of training that we try to keep each day, then also just to help them where I can and give them advice if there’s anything I can help with.”

Brandon at Hotspur Way in October, 2023...

Brandon with Hugo Lloris in 2022...

Brandon, Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp lead the pre-match walk around the pitch ahead of the Premier League clash against Everton - 23 December...

A few years ago you spent time playing out on loan with Viborg in Denmark and Orlando City in the MLS. Are you still able to draw on those experiences today?

“It definitely helped shape me into the player that I am today. I’ve been to Denmark and I’ve been to America, both two different cultures, two different countries and I think that’s helped me come now into a changing room where we do have a lot of international players, different languages, so it’s helped me to be able to connect with them and also just to go out and play and get those experiences that you can only get from playing football, which are key, especially as a goalkeeper.”

Brandon at our photoshoot in August, 2023...

Brandon in action against Sevilla in South Korea - July, 2022...

Finally, how proud are you to sign such a long-term deal at the Club?

“It’s a big show of trust from the Club, something that I’m very grateful for and again it’s something that I want to repay to them and show on the pitch, whether that’s in training or in games, that when called upon I’m ready to go and be ready to take that opportunity.

"It’s really special to be here and it’s been amazing, the journey that we’ve been on in the last few years. Hopefully we can continue that and I’m sure there will be many more and better, exciting memories for us to build here.”