One of a pair of full backs with Justin Edinburgh, who may not find a place in some fans' all time XI, but was reasonably effective and looked a good option when compared to some others who played in his position in that era.
Played for a Sunday team called Forest United and made it onto Watford's books as a junior (having trained with them as a 12 year old), before signing with non-league St. Albans. Played at Clarence Park for just over a year and was spotted by Southend United manager David Webb, who signed him for the Shrimpers for £14,000. Joining just in time for the run-in to the end of the season, he helped Southend finish third and gain automatic promotion to the old Third Division and the following season missed the early games through injury, but returned to the side to help them finish in the promotion places once more. The Essex club almost made it to the top flight with a surge to the top of the Second Division table, but they could not maintain their form and dropped away finishing in mid-table.
Dean had turned down a move to Derby County earlier in the season, but he felt he could join a bigger club and Terry Venables had been watching the progress Austin had made and brought him to White Hart Lane for £375,000 in the summer of 1992, where he linked up with his former team-mate Justin Edinburgh. The two young full backs had a torrid time as they were not crowd favourites, but stuck to their task and did well. There were times when the thin figure of Austin got bundled of the ball and his distribution wasn't the best, but he curbed his attacking instincts and knuckled down to become a better defender.
With the club seemingly blighted by controversy for most of his time at the club, Austin's nearest brush with success was being part of the side that reaches the 1995 FA Cup semi-final, only to lose to Everton at Elland Road. It was not an easy time to be a Tottenham player and with the Spurs crowd used to having big names and big money signings, the likes of Austin, Samways, Edinburgh and Howells were the points of focus for their unhappiness. Dean was not one of the best defenders ever to line up for the club, but he gave 100% and being a Spurs fan, I imagine he was desperate to do well, but it didn't work out for him.
By the time Gerry Francis became manager, Austin had suffered knee injuries and had missed a fair amount of playing time, so he was allowed to leave to join Crystal Palace, signing for Terry Venables once again. However, the manager was only in charge for six more months and when he left, injuries and being out of favour left Austin out of the side for 18 months only getting back in the side when players were sold to bring in money to solve a financial crisis for the Eagles. As a senior professional at the club, he was given the captain's armband and helped the club in relegation battles.
In November 2002, Dean joined Woking and was made captain of the side, which just avoided relegation and stayed until June 2003, when he was unable to agree a new deal with the club.
For a while he managed Farnborough Town, did some scouting for Reading and was also working as a personal trainer, but got back into league football, coaching with Southend in 2007 with their reserves and also acted as chief scout. Austin moved to Watford under Brendan Rogers, becoming his assistant manager at Vicarage Road in the early part of the 2008-09 season. Deano then followed Rogers to Reading in the same role and stayed at the Madjeski stadium from August 2009 to December 2009.
He was taken on as a coach at Crystal Palace by George Burley in June 2010 and only a change of management led to his dismissal in May 2011, after new boss Dougie Freedman was said to be unhappy about dissenting whispers about his style of management.
In 2013, he was coaching at Notts. County and earning a good reputation, Deano was linked with a move to Southampton to join their backroom staff.