Young Hopes Addicks Bounce Back

Ex Charlton defender Luke Young has wished the club all the best and hopes we will be seeing him at the Riverside next season.

Young left the club last week for a return to The Premiership with Gareth Soughtgate's Middlesbrough. The former Spurs man moved on for £2.5m and he left with a heavy heart.

Young will begin the season on Saturday as a Boro player and he will be concentrating on making his debut against Blackburn Rovers at The Riverside.

But he had a message for the Charlton fans and believes we should stand by the club and Alan Pardew will lead us back up to the big time.

'The Charlton fans deserve to be in the Premier League," the England defender told the official Charlton website.


'They were always good to me and I appreciate that, and I think if they can stand by the club for one season in the Championship, then I think they can bounce straight back up.

'I'd like to thank the club as a whole, really,' added Luke. 'Going back to when the club signed me, they paid quite a lot of money at the time for a young lad who was a bit-part player at Tottenham.

'And I'd like to thank Alan Pardew in that respect as well. He was really understanding and said if a decent offer came in for me he would consider it, but would not let me go for peanuts.'

The 28-year-old is hoping to impress on the Premiership stage and reignite his international career.

He will though always be thankful to Charlton and he knows he owes the club a lot.

'I was playing here, there and everywhere for Spurs, and Curbs told the chairman that he wanted me so he stumped up £3m plus add-ons, which was quite a lot of money at the time.

'I have to thank both of them really for coming to get me and giving me the chance to play regularly in one position, which is what I was struggling to do at the time at Tottenham.

'I always knew I would be a right-back, it was just trying to get the opportunity to play in that position.

'At Tottenham Stephen Carr was there and he was on fire and I couldn't really see a way through. When I heard about Curbs' interest and Charlton's interest I jumped at the opportunity to come and really enjoyed my time at the club.'

So Saturday will be the first time in six years that a Charlton squad hasn't included Luke Young on the right-hand side of the Charlton defence. That will be one change that everyone will be sad to see.

Young though moves on but will be hoping his former employers can make an instant return to The Premiership.

'I wish everybody at the club all the best and would like to thank everyone for making my time at Charlton so enjoyable.

'To come back to The Valley in the Premier League next season with Boro would be great.'

Let's hope it happens Luke. Thank you for all your effort in the famous red shirt and good luck at the Boro and playing for England.






Luke Young was speaking to the official website www.cafc.co.uk

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