'I want promotion, it is achievable' - Charlie Austin on reason he returned to Swindon Town

• Charlie Austin speaking to our reporter Ross Arnott.

Returning Swindon Town hero Charlie Austin said that winning promotion with the team would rank as one of the his best achievements in football.

The 33-year-old returned to the County Ground two months ago, 14 years after he first joined them from non-league Poole Town.

Back then he was a dynamic number nine who had been scoring goals for fun. Now, after a stellar career that has seen him play for QPR and Southampton in the Premier League he is back at the place where his professional journey started.

His signing was greeted with joy by town fans and with four goals in his first five games back he is hopeful he can help fire them to promotion.

"I still want to get promoted," he said.

"That is not me being deluded or anything like that I have come back here and I want to win.

"The reason why I get so animated, maybe too much some might say, is because I care and I know we can do it."

On his second debut for the club Austin was the main attraction, more than 11,000 supporters packed in the County Ground to see the side play Grimsby.

They won that match 5-0 and Charlie got himself on the scoresheet.

"It was really special that day," he continued.

"It was special to come back and I wanted to get my foot in the door and the chairman was great at giving me the chance to do that.

"We had a great turnout of fans that day and the excitement more than anything was amazing.

"I walked out that day with my son who is six and he experienced it as well, it meant a lot.

"It was nice and then to be able to score after 25 minutes it was the perfect day and the perfect homecoming for me."

Austin, who had been released by Reading as a youngster, was plying his trade in non-league for Poole Town and spent his days working on a building site with his dad.

After a phenomenal scoring streak he was attracting interest from teams right across the football league.

One of them though was Swindon Town and one of their scouts, a man called Ken Ryder, took the time to travel to Poole and watch him in action.

By the end of the first half Austin had scored three goals and was the name on all supporters' lips.

Ryder returned to Swindon and convinced then manager Danny Wilson to sign him.

"I remember going down there and it was an awful night, absolutely horrendous weather," he said.

"I got there and stood with the punters and everyone was talking about him. You just knew he was a real talent.

"By the end of the first half he had scored three or four goals and I knew that he had everything to be a top player.

"He came in to us and he just hit the ground running just like how he has done everywhere he has gone.

"Charlie is a goalscorer and I am so pleased that he has gone on to do what he has."