Austin Hayes

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Austin Hayes
Personal information
Full name	Austin William Patrick Hayes
Date of birth	July 15, 1958
Place of birth	Hammersmith, England
Date of death	December 3, 1986 (aged 28)
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Playing position	Left winger
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1976-1981 1981-1983 1983-1985	Southampton Millwall Northampton Town	31 0(5) 47 0(5) 64 (14)
National team
1979	Ireland	01 0(0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Austin William Patrick Hayes (born Hammersmith, London 15 July 1958, died 3 December 1986) was an English born footballer of Irish descent.

He played once as a full international for his country in 1979, but began his club career as a left-winger at Southampton in 1976. He scored twice on his debut in a European Cup Winners' Cup tie at home to Carrick Rangers on 3 November 1976. Hayes played in the 1979 League Cup final but Southampton lost to Nottingham Forest. During that season he had played in 15 First Division games and scored three goals.

Hayes was never able to cement a regualr first-team place, with players of the calibre of Kevin Keegan, Charlie George and Phil Boyer also in the Saints squad. His last appearance for Southampton came on 3 May 1980 and he was transferred to Millwall for £50,000 in February 1981, later turning out for Northampton Town.

In December 1986, Austin Hayes died at the age of 28 from lung cancer, just three weeks after the illness was diagnosed. Earlier that year he had spent a short time playing in Sweden and had recently returned to England when he became ill.