Charlton Athletic confirm temporary player exit

Aaron Henry has joined Wealdstone of the National League on a one month loan deal from Charlton Athletic, as announced by the club this afternoon.

The 18-year-old will be hoping for some first team opportunities towards the back end of the season with the Addicks expected to have very little to play for, and some strong displays in the National League would certainly take him closer to achieving that.

With Nile John arriving on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in January, Henry’s pathway to receiving regular minutes was further blocked especially with the Addicks’ midfield trio being one of the most settled areas of the pitch since Johnnie Jackson’s appointment.

Wealdstone are currently just one place above the bottom three in the National League but have an eight point cushion on Weymouth in 21st.

Henry is set to be available for seven league matches which should give him ample opportunities to impress his parent club.

Henry, who made his debut for the club in the FA Cup as a 16-year-old, is very highly rated among the Addicks’ current crop of younger players and having seen Mason Burstow earn a move to Chelsea off the back of just two league starts for the club, motivation will be higher than ever to knuckle down in SE7.

The Verdict

It is likely that there is some sort of agreement with Tottenham Hotspur that Nile John will play a certain amount of minutes at Charlton.

Therefore, it was always going to be difficult, in the short term, for Henry to get in and around the matchday squads.

National League experience is far more valuable than U23 football and it will be interesting to see what kind of reviews his performances receive in the next month.

With Ben Watson unlikely to be a Charlton Athletic player next season, there