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Former Southampton striker diagnosed with ADHD

Charlie Austin was researching the disorder and realised he “ticked a lot of the boxes”.

Former Premier League striker Charlie Austin has revealed he has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Both of his daughters were separately diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and when he was looking into the conditions he realised he “ticked a lot of the boxes.”

ADHD medication is listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list as it’s classed as a performance enhancing drug, which means Austin can't take the medication whilst playing professional football.

“I went privately and only saw one doctor at the ADHD clinic but that wasn’t enough to give me an exemption to be able to take the tablets while playing.”

The striker, who played for clubs including Southampton, QPR and West Brom, told 5 Live Breakfast’s Rick Edwards that the wait time to see a doctor or nurse for an ADHD diagnosis is “scary and alarming”.

“I did the best job in the world and what I’m doing at the moment is helping myself, my wife and my family.”

This clips is originally from 5 Live Breakfast on August 28th 2024.

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