It wasn’t just Head of Recruitment Steve Gallen that worked hard to get Josh Cullen back to The Valley.
The Irish international returned to the club on a season-long loan earlier on Wednesday and revealed teammates Lewis Page and Dillon Phillips had been nagging him to come back to Charlton.
Gallen explained that he’d been “chipping away” at the deal every single day in an attempt to make it happen but he had some help in the form of two of the 23-year-old’s good friends.
Cullen explained: “I’m quite close with Pagey, I have been for years, and with Dills, we shared lifts in last year, so there was the odd message ‘Are you coming back?’. I had to tell them that honestly I didn’t know. It didn’t look like it was going to happen but obviously things change quickly in football and when things did change it felt like the right place to come back here.”
The midfielder played a crucial role for the Addicks last season, playing in 32 games and putting the ball in for Patrick Bauer's winning goal at Wembley. Speaking to Valley Pass he said he was pleased to be back.
He said: “I’m looking forward to putting the shirt back on again and playing at The Valley and improving as a player. I think we’re expecting a tough season, it’s a step up from where we were last season but it is one that we will relish and obviously the lads got off to a brilliant start on Saturday.”
Lee Bowyer was in a noticeably good mood with Cullen confirmed and the West Ham loanee is looking forward to learning more from the Charlton manager.
He said: “Having worked with the manager I know how he works. Having the opportunity to come and do it again, to come and learn off him. He played a similar position to myself. I think it will only benefit me to come back and work under him for another season.”
Watch the full interview with Josh Cullen on Valley Pass.