Club News

EYE ON THE OPPOSITION | Charlton Athletic (A)

29th April 2023

On Saturday afternoon Port Vale face Charlton Athletic at the Valley for our final fixture on the road this season.

Charlton will come into this fixture off the back of an eventful 3-2 loss at home to Morecambe, which leaves them 11^th in League One on 58 points.

Meanwhile, Vale’s last match in the division was a well-deserved 2-0 victory over Bristol Rovers at Vale Park, which all but secured our third-division status for next season.

It’s sure to be a brilliant clash this weekend, and before we get to matchday, here is what you need to know about the Addicks.

ONE TO WATCH: Jesurun Rak-Sayi

The Addicks star asset, and player to look for on Saturday, is Jesurun Rak-Sayi, who is on loan from Premier League side Crystal Palace.

The 20-year-old joined Charlton on a season-long loan from the Eagles in July of last year, and he can play at the top of the pitch, or out wide on the right.

Rak-Sayi started his youth career at Chelsea before making the big move to south London in 2019.

He made his professional debut for the Eagles as a substitute against his former side, but unfortunately, he came out on the losing side.

Charlton are the first side the young forward has moved on loan to, and he has impressed at the League One outfit, netting 14 times, and assisting on eight occasions in all competitions this campaign.

Vale will have their hands full with the attacking starlet, but Andy Crosby will be keen that they keep the 20-year-old quiet as we search for all three points on Saturday.

THE MAN AT THE HELM: Dean Holden

In the dugout for the Addicks is Dean Holden, who was appointed manager in December 2022.

Before his venture into coaching, Holden made over 400 professional appearances as a defender for 10 clubs, including Bolton Wanderers.

After retiring from the game in 2014, the 43-year-old secured his first managerial job just under a year later when he took over the helm at Oldham Athletic.

A stint as a coach at Walsall was then followed by a four-year spell as an assistant coach at Bristol City under Lee Johnson.

Upon Johnson’s dismissal in 2020, Holden was handed the role of caretaker boss, before securing a permanent position as the club’s manager after an impressive five-match spell.

After leaving the Robins, the former defender spent a short period of time as assistant manager at our rivals, Stoke City, before taking over at Charlton before the turn of the year.

Holden has steadied the ship in south London since his arrival and will be hoping to build on his solid start next campaign.

STADIUM: The Valley