Charlton Athletic captain Jason Pearce says he wants to stay at the club, but admits that he is at something of a crossroads in his career.

Pearce was handed a new one-year contract by the club last summer, which is of course now coming towards an end, leaving his future uncertain.

The 34-year-old has made 26 appearances in all competitions for the Addicks so far this season, taking his total tally for the club to 173 since he joined from Wigan in 2016.

But while Pearce admits he is keen to stay at The Valley beyond the end of this season, it seems the defender is aware that he may yet have a significant decision to make on his future, as starts to make the step into coaching as well.

Speaking about his hopes for the future at Charlton beyond this season, Pearce was quoted by the South London Press as saying: “I’m at a crossroads now, if I’m honest. I feel I could carry on playing for another two seasons, if not more. I’ve kept myself fit.

"But I’m doing a bit of coaching and I’m enjoying that and I want to give back to the younger players and help them as well.

“I feel I’ve got a really good affiliation with the club. At the moment there have been preliminary talks but I’ve had nothing firm, so I’ll have to keep my options open. I’d love to stay at the club but I’m not too sure what the club are thinking.”

With Charlton both out of the play-off race and safe from relegation, the Addicks are already guaranteed to be playing League One football again next season.

The Verdict

You get the feeling that Charlton may soon have a tough call to make over Pearce's future.

On the one hand, it could be useful to have someone with his experience and knowledge of the club still around, given he does seem to be using it to help bring young players through to the senior setup.

However, it is also hard to deny the fact that this has been a below par season for the Addicks, so change may be needed to improve on this next time around.

If that is the case, then given his age means he is not a long term prospect, Pearce may be one under consideration to be moved on by the club, although that may not be easy for them to do given his many years of service.