Coventry City's Dean Austin considering legal action after private WhatsApp messages leaked

Coventry head of recruitment Dean Austin is considering legal action after several of his private WhatsApp messages were leaked online.

Former Tottenham and Crystal Palace defender Austin has been in his position since 2022, after spells in various coaching and recruitment roles at Watford, Northampton and Bolton.

The 53-year-old was present at Vicarage Road on Wednesday to watch Watford take on Swansea in the Championship. The match ended 1-1, with Wesley Hoedt scoring a second half header for the Hornets to cancel out Ryan Andrews' first half own goal.

Watford's next opponents are Coventry, with the match taking place this Saturday.

A Hornets fan sat in the stands at Vicarage Road took three screenshots of Austin's phone, with one account then choosing to publish the photos on a social media platform after the game.

The photos appeared to show an exchange between Austin and Coventry manager Mark Robins, with the exchange briefly discussing aspects of Watford's performance.

The future of Hornets boss Valerien Ismael was also brought up. Austin played alongside Ismael at Crystal Palace when the Frenchman had a short spell at Selhurst Park in 1998, where he featured in 13 Premier League games.

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The Athletic report that Austin and football agent Rob Segal - whose conversation with the Sky Blues' head of recruitment was also posted online - are 'deeply concerned' by the leak, and believe their privacy has been breached.

It is also reported that Austin is considering legal action over the publication of the photos. In the UK, laws outline that individuals have the right to privacy and protection of their personal data.

Coventry currently sit in eighth place in the Championship, and are three points off the play-off places following their 5-0 win over strugglers Rotherham at the Ricoh Arena.

Watford, meanwhile, have won only two league games in 2024, and despite being in 13th place, are only seven points clear of the Championship relegation zone with 12 games to play.