What Matty Godden said to Nathan Jones ahead of promotion-winning Charlton Athletic season - supporters will love this | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic striker Matty Godden has revealed what he said to manager Nathan Jones after joining the club in the summer.

Charlton Athletic striker Matty Godden has revealed details of a conversation with manager Nathan Jones after joining the club in the summer in which he outlined his desire to achieve promotion to the Championship.

It looked as though Charlton were set for another season of mid-table underachievement when they sat as low as 14th in December, but an outstanding second half of the season saw them finish in fourth place, and there may even have been some disappointment at missing out on automatic promotion.

After two incredibly tight games that were lacking in goalmouth action, the Addicks eventually got past Wycombe Wanderers in their play-off semi-final, with Godden's close-range finish in the 81st minute of the second leg settling the tie.

It was another tight affair in the final at Wembley as Charlton took on Leyton Orient, but Macaulay Gillesphey's 31st-minute free-kick proved to be the winner, sealing a return to the Championship for the South London outfit following a five-year absence.

Matty Godden reveals Nathan Jones, Charlton Athletic promise

While Jones did eventually lead the club to promotion, his relationship with Charlton supporters was not always smooth over the course of the season, and he also came in for criticism for some of his decisions in the transfer market.

Jones controversially allowed top scorer Alfie May, who netted 27 goals in the 2023-24 season, to join promotion rivals Birmingham City last summer, and as he looked to replace his talisman, he brought in Godden from Coventry City.

£1 million signing Gassan Ahadme was initially expected to fill May's boots, but Godden proved to be the Addicks' main goalscoring threat, with the 33-year-old finishing as the joint-second highest goalscorer in League One alongside Birmingham's Jay Stansfield.

Godden's goals were not only crucial in helping Charlton reach the play-offs, but he also scored the aforementioned winner in the semi-final against Wycombe, showing the instinct of a natural goalscorer to help break the deadlock when his side needed him the most.

It was a big decision by Godden to leave Coventry and drop down a division to join the Addicks, and he revealed that he told Jones that he was determined to make a swift return to the Championship after making the move to The Valley.

"I set myself a target at the start of this season and I said to the gaffer that I'll take the step down, but I want to get back to the level that I've left," Godden said, quoted by the club's official X account.

"We've now achieved it in the first year."

Nathan Jones was rewarded for bold Matty Godden, Charlton Athletic call

It was certainly a brave decision by Jones to allow May to join Birmingham in the summer, and had Charlton missed out on the play-offs, there is no doubt that the Welshman would have been reminded of his mistake.

The goals had dried up a little for Godden in his final two seasons at Coventry, so Jones' decision to bring him to The Valley was not unanimously popular, but after a stunning 22-goal campaign that included a host of vital contributions, his faith in the striker has certainly been vindicated.

It is fair to say that, without Godden's goals, the Addicks would not currently be looking forward to a return to the Championship, and his second tier experience will be crucial next season as Jones' men look to consolidate back in the division.