Charlton Athletic saw what Derby County didn’t with striker - He’s now playing in the 8th tier | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic got the best out of the striker

Charlton Athletic were still licking their wounds in the summer of 2020 after suffering relegation from the Championship.

Lee Bowyer continued his role as the Addicks’ manager despite suffering the drop, as he had guided them to League One promotion in the 2018/19 campaign.

Turning to the transfer market, Bowyer decided that some new recruits were exactly what his side needed to give them the push to fight for promotion once again.

Operators such as Omar Bogle, Chris Gunter and Alex Gilbey were brought in to try and give Charlton an edge over their rivals, whilst also trying to replace the quality that was missing following exits for Macauley Bonne, Lyle Taylor and Tom Lockyer.

Charlton decided to look north of the border and bring in some talent from the Scottish game too, ultimately convincing Conor Washington to swap Hearts for the Valley.

Charlton Athletic got the best out of Conor Washington, Derby County did not

Expectations weren’t too high for Washington when he was signed by the Addicks, given that he had only scored three league goals in 15 appearances the previous season.

The striker had previously showcased his ability in League One, most notably scoring 13 goals for Peterborough United during the 2014/15 campaign.

However, that was five years prior to Washington’s Charlton move, and he hadn’t managed to replicate those numbers in that time.

He had run out for Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield United in the Championship before moving to Hearts, but the striker had failed to score during his final season in English football.

Washington firmly silenced any doubters in his first term with Charlton, scoring 11 goals in 36 appearances to help the Addicks finish seventh in League One.

The Northern Irishman matched this total the following season in a less competitive side, which meant that he had netted an impressive 22 times during his first two campaigns at the Valley.

Despite putting up these numbers, Washington and Charlton couldn’t reach an agreement to extend his contract, which led to the hitman joining Rotherham United in the Championship.

Washington scored five goals for the Millers and helped prevent them from suffering relegation to League One. His displays had caught the attention of Derby County, who signed the striker in the summer of 2023.

Back in League One, Pride Park looked to be the perfect environment for the Northern Irish attacker to score goals on a regular basis once again, but that didn’t prove to be the case.

Scoring just three times for the Rams throughout the 2023/24 campaign, Washington didn’t play a vital part in securing promotion to the Championship and was absent completely from their squad when back in the second-tier, with ankle injuries playing a large role in his lack of playing time.

The only football the striker played for Derby during the 2024/25 season was for County’s academy team, making four appearances in the Premier League 2.

Conor Washington is now operating out of the eighth-tier

After being completely absent from Derby County’s first team for the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign, Washington exited Pride Park following the expiration of his contract.

Although many would’ve predicted a drop below the Championship level, few may have expected the striker to sign for a club in the eighth-tier of English Football.

That’s exactly what the 33-year-old opted for however, selecting Matlock Town as his destination of choice. Whilst still recovering from an injury that has caused him to miss so much football, the slower pace of non-league football might be a crucial factor in the decision Washington has made.

The forward has found his goalscoring form once again with the Gladiators, netting 11 minutes into his debut.

It will be no surprise to supporters of Charlton Athletic to see Washington ripping it up in non-league, but it may lead to questions over how quickly he has dropped to that level.