EFL pundit Gary McSheffrey has praised Charlton Athletic striker Macauley Bonne for making the most of his opportunity and scoring against Leeds United on Saturday.

With injuries to both Lyle Taylor and Tomer Hemed, Bonne made his first start for the Addicks on Saturday, having joined from Leyton Orient in the summer.

The 23-year-old had played just 34 minutes of Championship football before Saturday’s game at the Valley but did not take long to make an impact after having been given the start.

Bonne scored the only goal of the game just after the half-hour mark, converting scrappily on the back of a corner to open his account with the club.

The forward joined Charlton after two prolific seasons for Orient in the National League, scoring 45 times across that period.

Speaking on EFL on Quest, McSheffrey lauded the forward for making the most of his chance.

He said: “He was prolific in the National League last year for Leyton Orient.

“He was given an opportunity this afternoon with the Lyle Taylor injury and he was there to be effective and score the goal.”

The win moves Charlton up to sixth in the Championship, just two points behind league leaders West Bromwich Albion.

Lee Bowyer’s side have a tough run of fixtures coming up, facing five of the top 10 sides in the division in their next six games.

The Verdict

Bonne deserves the full praise for finding the net on Saturday. Despite the scrappiness of the goal, it was a match-winning moment and a strong start to his Charlton career.

With the injury to Taylor, it will be a huge boost for Charlton if Bonne can find goalscoring form and getting off the mark on his first start against the team with the Championship’s tightest defence is a great way to start.

With games against Swansea City and Fulham over the next week, it is going to be interesting to see how Bowyer rotates his side and whether Bonne gets another chance to show his worth.