Charlton boss Lee Bowyer has claimed that confirmation of his three-year contract extension at The Valley means the club can now start to move forward as they plan for the future.
Bowyer was set to see his current contract expire at the end of the season after he signed a one-year extension to his deal last summer, but the club announced yesterday that the 43-year-old has now agreed a new deal with the Addicks until 2023.
The former midfielder has made an excellent impact since taking over on a full-time basis in September 2018, with Bowyer guiding his side to promotion from League One last season before making a solid start to life in the second tier this term.
The club's results suffered a dip in recent weeks as a result of an injury crisis which kept more than 10 first-team players out of action, but the situation is now starting to improve with the likes of Josh Cullen, Jonny Williams and Lyle Taylor returning of late.
Bowyer has now expressed his delight at signing fresh terms at the club where he started his professional playing career, and the Charlton boss now thinks the club can start to look forward to a positive future under the new ownership team.
"I'm delighted. It's something I've been looking forward to getting done and it's been a long while coming. The most important thing now is that the club can start building and moving forward," he told the club website.
"This is a good club with great tradition. We have great fans, I have great staff around me and I've got players that give me everything, so everything to do with this club is positive. Now the new owners have come in and we're going to have some funds. It's all a manager wants - good people around you who want to win and go forwards."
It was confirmed earlier this month that East Street Investments had completed their purchase of the club from the hands of controversial owner Roland Duchatelet, with this having been instrumental in Bowyer's decision to sign a new deal.
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The Verdict
This long-awaited news comes as a major boost for Charlton as it will bring some stability to Bowyer's situation at the club, while it could also play a key role in helping to attract new signings to The Valley in the final week of the transfer window.
It would have been one of ESI's first priorities to safeguard Bowyer's long-term future at the club, particularly seeing as his impressive managerial work would have certainly seen some interest in his services over the summer.
However, this development means Charlton can now start planning for the future in the knowledge that Bowyer will be at the helm for the next three years, and this is exactly the news that the Addicks' players and fanbase would have been hoping for.
I think this news could also play a key role in helping to keep Charlton afloat in the Championship this term, as there will now be less questions surrounding Bowyer's future, which means there can be more focus on results on the pitch.