Ahead of the Addicks' return to The Valley this weekend, new recruit Allan Campbell sat down to discuss his attraction to the Charlton project, his relationship with Nathan Jones and his aspirations for the campaign.
The Scottish international made the switch to SE7 from Luton Town last month, signing on a season-long loan from the Sky Bet Championship side having previously played a vital role in the Hatters' promotion to the Premier League.
“I can’t wait [to get going]," he smiled. "I’ve got to get back to playing football and playing games, and what better way to start than on Saturday at The Valley?"
His arrival at the club marks the second time the 26-year-old has been signed by Jones, and he is relishing the opportunity to work with the gaffer once again.
“I’m looking forward to it," explained Campbell. "Before I signed, I went and met him to speak to him. He spoke about his ambitions for the club, the team he has got here currently, the fans, the staff and the facilities. Discussing what he expects from the season, he’s an ambitious person if you know him, it’s something that I was excited to come and join."
When asked what qualities he hopes to bring to the side, he said: “All-action, box-to-box, giving my all on the park and trying to get goals and assists. I want to be a leader out there, driving the team forward, and hopefully it is a successful season.
Campbell has a few familiar faces in the squad in former Hatters man Luke Berry and the skipper Greg Docherty, who he roomed with during the duo's time with Scotland U21s.
“It’s always nice to have a couple of Scottish boys as well which is good, nobody asking you to repeat yourself constantly! That has helped a lot. I also played a couple of years with Bez [Luke Berry], so I am close with him. It helps a lot, already knowing people when coming into a club, but everybody else has been brilliant and I can’t ask for anymore. I’m looking forward to getting going."
The tireless midfielder has also been capped at senior international level having made his Scotland debut in a 4-1 victory against Armenia back in 2022, when he was starring under Jones at Luton.
“It’s probably one of my proudest moments of my career, making my debut there. Hopefully if I can have a successful spell here, get back playing football and doing well I don’t see why I can’t knock on the door to get back into the squads."
Having spoken to his teammates, Campbell is excited to step out at The Valley for the first time in his career on Saturday.
“I’m really looking forward to it," he said. "I’ve heard a lot of people speak about the fans and the atmosphere. We want to make it a fortress this year and it’s been a good start to the season home wise. I’m looking forward to getting going on Saturday and hopefully we can carry that on.
“I love the support from the fans. I am somebody that plays on the edge, having that support behind you gives you that extra percent, that is what you need in football. I’m sure they’ll be there in full voice, pushing the team on to get a result."
“[Rotherham will] be a tough game, as always. Obviously I don’t think they have started the best, but they got a positive result at the weekend, and we need to bounce back from our result. We need to focus on ourselves, making sure we perform better than we did at the weekend and get back to winning ways."
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