Plymouth Argyle struck £0 transfer gold - Charlton Athletic, Huddersfield Town were jealous | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle fans will have very different memories of striker Freddie Ladapo than Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town supporters.

It is fair to say that striker Freddie Ladapo has experienced contrasting fortunes during spells with a number of EFL clubs.

After being released by Huddersfield Town earlier in the season, Ladapo recently joined League Two side Chesterfield on a short-term contract in a bid to help the Spireites win promotion.

Ladapo's drop into the fourth tier perhaps signals that his time in the EFL may be entering its final chapter, but he can certainly reflect positively on his spells with the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Rotherham United and Ipswich Town.

However, as is often the case with strikers, Ladapo failed to reach the same heights with some of his other clubs, particularly in recent years, and Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield are among those who may have less fond memories of the 33-year-old.

Plymouth Argyle hit the jackpot with Freddie Ladapo transfer gamble

Ladapo made his senior breakthrough at Colchester United, and a host of loan and permanent spells in non-league followed with the likes of Woking, Kidderminster Harriers, Grays Athletic and Margate before he joined Premier League side Crystal Palace in 2016.

Unfortunately for Ladapo, he was unable to establish himself at Selhurst Park as he made just two appearances for the Eagles, and after loan stints with Oldham Athletic and Shrewsbury Town, he made a permanent move to League One side Southend United in January 2018.

Despite showing some promise during his loans, Ladapo failed to score in 10 appearances during an underwhelming spell at Roots Hall, and he was released by the Shrimpers at the end of the season, but he was handed another opportunity in the third tier by Plymouth that summer.

Given Ladapo's struggles at Southend, the deal looked to be something of a gamble for the Pilgrims, but it proved to be a masterstroke as the striker exploded into life at Home Park, and the Devon outfit would surely have been wondering how they managed to land him on a free transfer.

Ladapo scored an impressive 19 goals and provided three assists in 49 appearances during his debut season at the club, including five braces, but his contribution was ultimately in vain as Argyle suffered relegation to League Two on the final day of the campaign.

However, Plymouth's demise made Ladapo's goal tally even more eye-catching, and his exploits earned him a move back to League One with Rotherham, who paid a then club record fee of £500,000 for his services, netting the Pilgrims a tidy profit in the process.

Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town will not share Plymouth Argyle's Freddie Ladapo memories

Ladapo went on to enjoy a hugely successful three-year spell with Rotherham as he scored 41 goals and registered six assists in 123 appearances, while he also achieved two promotions to the Championship during his time at the New York Stadium.

After the second of those promotions, Ladapo decided to drop back into League One to join Ipswich, but it was not long before he was celebrating once again, with his 21-goal haul helping Kieran McKenna's men to a second-placed finish in the 2022-23 season.

Ladapo scored four goals for the Tractor Boys in the first half of the following campaign, but his game time was limited as the Suffolk outfit pushed for back-to-back promotions, and he joined Charlton on loan in January 2024.

Given Ladapo's strong track record at League One level, his signing looked to be a big coup for the Addicks in their battle against relegation, but he scored just one goal and provided one assist in 14 appearances for the club.

In fairness to Ladapo, the manager who brought him in, Michael Appleton, departed just a few days after his arrival, which would not have helped him settle at The Valley, but his frustrating spell at Charlton seemingly did little to impress his parent club, and he was released by Ipswich shortly after his return to Portman Road.

Ladapo did not have to wait long to find a new club as he made the move to Huddersfield on a free transfer in September 2024, but he did not fare much better in West Yorkshire, netting just one goal in 25 appearances for the Terriers.

After being deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Lee Grant, Ladapo's contract at the Accu Stadium was terminated by mutual consent in September, marking the end of another disappointing period for the 33-year-old.

As Ladapo comes to the latter part of his career, he will always be held in high regard by fans of Plymouth, Rotherham and Ipswich, but Charlton and Huddersfield supporters may be keen to forget his time at their clubs.