Chuks Aneke was pleased to continue the good work he and his teammates have done this pre-season, as his stunning strike propelled the Addicks to a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Friday afternoon.
“It’s good to get out there, get some minutes and to get a goal,” he said. “You want to win every game you play but at the moment we’re just trying to get the right patterns, get the right relationships on the pitch and that’s what we did today.”
Towards the end of a tight first half, the forward was laid off by strike partner Daniel Kanu and lashed the ball home from 20 yards to give Charlton the lead. He was keen to praise Kanu for the assist.
“DK’s a physical presence, so he’s always got a chance,” said Aneke. “When he gets on the ball, you want to get close to him, because you get can those second balls. That’s what happened. He did great and set the ball back. I haven’t seen it back but I think it was a good finish!”
The Addicks were resilient in the face of Premier League-quality attackers, and Aneke echoed his manager’s words in praising the defence.
“The gaffer is on us about getting clean sheets. We want to be tough to beat, that’s what we want to be this year. And at the other end we want to score the chances that we can.
“These are hard-working boys in here. The pre-season games that I’ve played so far we’ve had a good shape and that’s what the gaffer wants to see, so we just have to keep working hard and the first game of the season will be the litmus test for us.”
Alongside Kanu in the starting lineup were fellow academy graduates Karoy Anderson and Nathan Asiimwe. Aneke is excited to see how they do this season.
“I’ve been here for a few years now so I’ve seen these players come through. I’m always pushing them. I want them to push on and believe in themselves and make their stamp this year.
“These are their second and third years now, so you want to see them push forward in their careers. It’s exciting to see, and I think we can achieve something good together.”
On the back of his first start of pre-season, Aneke concluded by thanking supporters for sticking by him.
“I’ve had some good times and scored some good goals, and I’ve had some low times. The fact that they’re still supporting me, it means the world.
“As long as I’m here I’m going to give all that I can - 100 per cent - to repay that.”
It's time. Be there. Click here to purchase your 2024/25 season ticket.
