Charlton Athletic struck transfer gold that Derby County haven’t seen | OneFootball

Corey Blackett-Taylor was a class act at Charlton Athletic, but hasn't been able to emulate that form in Derby County colours

Charlton Athletic successfully ended a five-season spell away from the Championship by winning the League One play-off final in 2025, but Addicks supporters have fond memories of some of the players who shone for their club in the third tier.

For instance, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi was a class act for Charlton in the 2022/23 season, notching 15 goals and nine assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

His exploits helped the South London club reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals, where they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester United.

Meanwhile, fellow winger Corey Blackett-Taylor excited the Addicks faithful right up until the moment he signed for Derby County in January 2024.

Derby County's Corey Blackett-Taylor was a class act for Charlton Athletic

Blackett-Taylor moved to South London on a free transfer in the summer 2021, after his contract with his former club, Tranmere Rovers, expired.

The winger wasn't as productive as he would have liked to have been in his first season with Charlton, as he notched two goals and four assists in 27 League One appearances.

However, he impressively improved his return in his second campaign with the Addicks, scoring eight goals and producing three assists in the third tier.

The former Tranmere man was even better in the first half of the 2023/24 League One season, troubling defenders with his direct dribbling style while notching eight goals and six assists in 25 outings.

Those performances did enough to impress Derby, who acquired his services, initially on loan in January 2024.

As previously mentioned, the Rams sealed automatic promotion to the Championship at the end of the 2023/24 season, but Blackett-Taylor didn't have much of a hand in those efforts.

The winger instead failed to score in 12 League One appearances for the Pride Park Stadium outfit, although he did produce one assist in that time.

Then, after joining Derby permanently in the summer of 2024, Blackett-Taylor made just 12 Championship appearances in his first second-tier campaign with the East Midlands club, and only scored one goal.

He was similarly unproductive in the first half of the 2025/26 season, failing to score in nine second-tier outings.

Consequently, the Rams allowed Blackett-Taylor to join Bolton Wanderers in January 2026, and he was quick to have a stronger impact in League One for the Trotters than he had for Derby in the Championship.

When the winger first signed for Derby, he told the club website: "It’s a massive club, everyone knows that. I’m happy to be on board. I believe in the project for the next 12 to 18 months and I feel like this will be a place where not only will I have a chance to play in a higher league but also develop as a player as well."

However, the East Midlands side will feel that the former Charlton man has not developed in the way that he would have liked, and left his best football behind in South London.

The Addicks will always look back on Blackett-Taylor's time at The Valley fondly, especially after acquiring him on a free transfer, whereas Derby haven't seen the same promise from the ex-Tranmere ace.

Corey Blackett-Taylor's Bolton Wanderers stint ended in heartache for the winger

Even though the winger failed to produce his best form in the Championship for Derby, Bolton still recognised the opportunity to acquire a player who is a real talent at third-tier level in January 2026.

However, Blackett-Taylor was able to make a total of just seven appearances for the Wanderers before suffering a season-ending injury.

The winger posted on Instagram on 26 March: "Instantly from arriving at the club I felt the passion & support from the fans, club, staff & players.

"I have no doubts of the club achieving their targets of promotion. I want to say a huge thank you for making me feel so welcomed and comfortable. Unfortunately, my season is concluded due to my injury, but I’ll be here supporting the team to the very end."

Blackett-Taylor scored two goals and produced one assist for Bolton, most notably making two goal contributions in a dramatic 3-2 victory over Wycombe Wanderers.