ADHD Diagnosis Explains Shocking Transfer
To mark International Neurodiversity Week, Premier League Stories chatted with current and former neurodiverse soccer players about their lives. One of them was Charlie Austin, a striker who used to play for Southampton and QPR. He said his ADHD (which he didn’t even know he had back then) was a big reason he made the crazy move to Brisbane Roar in Australia in 2022. Undiagnosed ADHD Led to Shock Move.
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Austin surprised everyone when he signed with the Australian team before the 2022-23 season. But he didn’t stay long. He only played 11 games, scoring four times, before going back to England for family reasons.
Australia Move Was Spur of the Moment
Austin told Premier League Stories on Optus Sport that he decided to move to Brisbane super quickly. He was on vacation with his family in Abu Dhabi when his agent called about the offer from the Roar. Undiagnosed ADHD Led to Shock Move.
I was at a water park with my family when my agent rang and said, ‘An Australian team is interested, out of the blue,’ Austin said.
At first, he wanted to take a few days to talk it over with his wife. But after just 40 minutes and a couple of water slides, he’d already decided.
I went back, picked up the phone, and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!’ I agreed without really thinking, he said.
Even though he’d never been to Australia and had a family to think about, Austin jumped at the chance without a second thought. Now, he realizes how weird that decision was.
When I tell people, they say, ‘That’s not normal. You shouldn’t have done that,’ he said.
How ADHD Changed Things
One thing about ADHD is that it can make you act without thinking. It can also make it hard to focus, or the opposite – you get super focused on one thing. Austin now thinks his quick decision about moving to Australia was a sign he needed to understand himself better.
That was a red flag for my wife, he said. It wasn’t just that one decision. My acting without thinking made her realize something wasn’t right.
Austin got his ADHD diagnosis in May 2024, but his wife had suspected it for a while. Seeing the same things in his kids also made him wonder if he had it too.
I thought about it, especially because my kids have it, he said. But I always just thought, ‘This is who I am—always going a million miles an hour.’ Undiagnosed ADHD Led to Shock Move.
Helping Neurodiverse Players
After talking about his diagnosis in September 2024, Austin was surprised by how many other soccer players reached out to him with similar stories. But what really got to him were the messages his wife got from other players’ wives.
The crazy thing was how many wives and girlfriends messaged my wife, he said. Because the person you live with sees everything you do.
Now, Austin wants to create more awareness and support for neurodiverse players, especially young ones. He thinks clubs should have better programs to spot and help players who might have ADHD or other conditions.
There needs to be something for coaches and staff, he said. You go on coaching courses, but they never talk about neurodiversity. What happens when you have young players who just can’t handle certain situations? There needs to be some learning about this.
Dealing with Problems in Soccer
Austin isn’t the only neurodiverse soccer player speaking out. Joao Gomes, who plays midfield for Wolves, has had a stutter since he was a kid, which made him not feel good about himself.
Most of the time, I didn’t want to talk to anyone, Gomes said. But people being nice to me helped me feel better about myself.
Professor Amanda Kirby, who supports neurodiversity, said that feeling anxious can make stutters worse.
When you focus too much on what you’re saying, it makes it harder, she said. The more you try to push, the harder it gets.
Gomes agreed, saying talking takes way more effort for him than for most people.
For me, talking is more tiring than a training session, he said.
Finding Peace on the Field
Even with the problems, Gomes finds relief in soccer.
One of the times I feel best is when I’m on the field, he said. It’s like I can talk normally, and I don’t worry.
Over time, he’s learned to not care so much about what others think and just try to be himself.
I used to miss out on things because I was scared of what people would think, he said. But now, I don’t let that stop me.
Spreading the Word and Changing Minds
Austin, Gomes, and other neurodiverse soccer players are helping people talk about neurodiversity in sports. Their stories show why it’s important to understand and support players with things like ADHD, OCD, and speech problems.
By making people more aware, they hope to make things better for young players, both on and off the field.
Watch PL Stories: Neurodiversity Celebration on Optus Sport.
