Ricky Holmes’ Charlton future has been secured.
Holmes, who had been heavily linked with his former Northampton boss Chris Wilder at Sheffield United, has put pen to paper on a new deal.
Last season’s Player of the Year has signed a three year contract.
The forward told the Official Website the fact he enjoyed last season at SE7 and Charlton have made some good signings during this period made it a ‘no brainer’ to sign this new deal.
Holmes is now hopeful of helping the Addicks back into the Championship.
He said: ‘With the signings we`ve made this year and the enjoyment I had personally last season with the goals I scored and being in and around the club, it was a no brainer for me to sign a new contract and get this club back up to where it belongs. I want to play for this football club and there seems to be a better vibe around the whole place. Hopefully, we can all get together and get promoted this season.’
Karl Robinson, who has seen central defender Jason Pearce sign a new deal and secured the signatures of Bradford’s Mark Marshall and Billy Clarke along with Reading’s Tariqe Fosu, said he didn’t ever have any concerns about Holmes’ likelihood of staying.
The boss feels this is a ‘statement of intent’ and was happy all agreed that Holmes, 30, wasn’t for sale.
Robinson said: ‘The board were very clear, and I was clear to them, that Ricky Holmes was not for sale. He wanted to be here. I understood that there were worries about the rumours, but it was clear to see that he was happy, but it`s great news. I`m happy for him, for the club and for the fans, because they`ve got their man who they wanted to stay. We talk like a big club, so we have to act like it and this is a statement of intent.’
CEO Katrien Meire added: ‘We are all very pleased that Ricky has signed a new contract with the club. There was interest from elsewhere but the signings we have made have been with promotion in mind which made it all the more important that we kept Ricky at the club.’
