EDDIE Howe has lifted the lid on his futile attempts to hand Charlie Austin his first professional deal in 2009. 

During his first stint in the Cherries hotseat, Howe desperately tried to circumvent the transfer embrago sanctioned by the Football League to take on Poole Town trialist Austin. 

Around the time of his 20th birthday, Austin stood out at Dean Court having plundered 64 goals in 57 matches as Dolphins dominated the Wessex League. 

Howe said: "I was speaking to the chairman at the time, Eddie Mitchell, to try to find a way round the embargo to sign him almost every day.

"Due to no fault of the people in charge then, the league had made up its mind that we were shut down for the season but the news had not filtered its way back to us.

"We were working day to day, thinking the embargo could be lifted but really, it was always going to be in place for the season so we had no chance of completing the deal.

"In the end, we had to be fair to Charlie and say ‘we’re not in a position to take you, you need to think of your own career’.

"We couldn’t keep the lad waiting forever, it would not have been right so he went to Swindon.

"It was very frustrating because the players has gone on to do so well."

After a goal-laden season and a half at Swindon, Howe finally got his man at Burnley where Austin netted 41 goals in 82 appearances before moving on to QPR and Southampton.