Charlton Athletic boss Jones wants fantastic star to stay, as he is set to leave

Nathan Jones has expressed a wish to keep George Dobson at Charlton Athletic beyond this season.

Despite an agreement with Fehervar, the Addicks refused to allow their club captain to join the Hungarian outfit earlier this week.

And Jones, who was appointed Charlton manager earlier this month, reinstated the former Sunderland midfielder in his starting lineup for tonight’s 1-1 draw with Lincoln City.

“He’s our player,” Jones remarked when asked about Dobson’s future by the South London Press. “There are offers to move to Hungary, etc., but why would he want to leave such a magnificent football club? He is loved and cared for, and his situation will improve.

“With great respect, he has played a lot of League One football. But why not aspire to become a Championship footballer? Why not try to do what he does in League One or the Championship? That’s his goal. That is what we have to try to do with him: change his mindset and, perhaps, transform his life.

“He doesn’t have to travel to Hungary to do that. He has the opportunity to do so here. That is what I’ve told him. It is a fantastic chance and a fantastic football club, which is why I have come here.

“I am proud to be here, and I hope he and others are as well. We’re going to improve and challenge each other.

“I didn’t want him to leave because I knew he could put in performances like that.

“I think anyone is good enough to play in the Championship if they believe in themselves and do absolutely everything possible. And when they get to the Championship, what is their next goal? I had a group at Luton in League Two and we told them they were going to be Championship. We said if you buy into it and believe in it then you are going to play in the Championship. Then when they got to the Championship we said: ‘Okay, you’re going to play in the Premier League’.

“And now they are League Two players playing in the Premier League. Changing their life – from believing in it, buying into it from sacrificing everything they possibly needed to – and that’s where they are.”