Luke Berry became the latest addition to Nathan Jones' squad on Monday morning.
Berry may have scored two goals in 17 Premier League appearances for Luton Town last season, but the serial promotion-winner has had to work for his chance at elite level.
Born in July 1992, the midfielder rose through the youth set-up at Cambridge United before making his debut in 2010. Still only a teenager, he quickly established himself as a first-team regular and went on to make 150 appearances during his first spell at the club.
Berry deservedly gained a reputation as a hard-working, box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal, and a couple of weeks after his 22nd birthday, he signed for Barnsley and played 37 games for the League One club in his single season in South Yorkshire.
In June 2015, Berry opted to re-sign for Cambridge and began playing the best football of his career up to that point. The midfielder added even more goals to his game, scoring 35 in 105 games during his second spell with the U’s - including all four in a 4-0 FA Cup win over Coventry City in December 2016.
In 2017, he would cross paths for the first time with Nathan Jones, who signed him for Luton Town. Having been beaten in the League Two play-off semi-final by Blackpool the previous season, Jones was looking to add players who would take his side to the next level.
Jones’ plan came to fruition, with Berry playing a crucial role in both the Hatters’ automatic promotion that season, and their League One win the following campaign. Four seasons in the Championship would follow, with Berry impressing - particularly in 2021/22 when he scored seven goals in 15 games from midfield.
The midfielder was able to maintain his level all the way into the Premier League, and when he scored a late equaliser in a relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest in March, he added his name to a very short list of players who have scored in each of England’s top five leagues. In doing so, he also wrote his name into the Luton history books as the first player to net in all four of English football’s top divisions for the Hatters.
In joining Charlton, Berry is reuniting with a Manager who has had a profound effect on his career. Speaking in an interview last summer, Berry said: “I never believed I’d be a Premier League player before I came to Luton - Nathan Jones gave me that belief and the pointers to improve my game.
“That’s what he did when he came back, too [in 2020]. Nathan knew a lot of the group and just believed that we were good enough to stay in the Championship. He gave us confidence and allowed us to play with freedom.”
The 31-year-old, who has been promoted from every EFL division, is now itching to get going at Charlton, with next season's objective clear. “To get promoted is the first thing I want to achieve with the team,” Berry said. “And I want to contribute as many goals as I possibly can - if I can contribute 10-15 goals and assists as well then I’ll be delighted.”
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