Nathan Jones, a former Stoke City manager, has accepted a position at Charlton Athletic after declining several offers to return to management. The club is currently fighting for relegation with Port Vale.
The 50-year-old former Stoke City manager began his coaching career at Charlton, where he managed a successful development team before moving to Luton Town via Brighton. He ended up managing Luton twice, after a difficult ten months at Stoke, where he played an important role in the club’s progress from the bottom half of League Two to the Premier League.
He went for Southampton to try his luck in the Premier League, but he has been out of job for nearly a year since his brief spell at St Mary’s ended. He now replaces Michael Appleton at the Valley, taking over a team that hasn’t won in 11 games and is three points from relegation in League One.
Jones will face competition from Port Vale and his former Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam, who has taken over at Fleetwood Town, if he is to remain in the league. Jones saw yesterday’s 1-0 defeat to Derby County from the stands and will take control for the first time next Saturday against Reading, who are now in the fourth relegation.
Jones added, “I am very enthusiastic about the job ahead of me at Charlton. I have wonderful recollections of this club from my time here, and I want to help move it forward.
“I’ve been asked by several clubs about returning to management, but I’m waiting for the proper chance. Based on my interactions with the Board and the long-term nature of the contract, I can see there is a genuine desire to develop something here, which I am really excited to be a part of.”
Jones’ contract is referred to as long-term. Charlton has gone through six managers since 2018, including former Stoke coach Dean Holden.
Chairman James Rodwell stated, “We are very pleased to select Nathan Jones. He is an accomplished manager with a track record of developing successful teams over time.
“We were really impressed with the caliber of candidates who expressed an interest in joining Charlton. Nathan stood out in our early investigation, in-depth interviews, and references. He is an excellent fit for Charlton due to his propensity to get his teams playing football on the front foot, with passion and fire. He excels as a coach, possessing tactical knowledge and exceptional talent development skills.The ownership group has a long-term goal of delivering success to Charlton Athletic, and Nathan will play an important part as we strive to take the club to the next level. Initially, that will entail improving on our recent form and hoping to end the season as high as possible.
League One table as possible.”
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