Charlton boss Nigel Adkins offers his verdict on contract extensions for Jason Pearce and Ben Watson

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Jason Pearce and Ben Watson are both set for reduced game time next season – but Charlton Athletic boss Nigel Adkins is confident they still have a crucial role to play.

The Addicks announced earlier this week that midfielder Watson, 36, and centre-back Pearce, 33, have both signed one-year contract extensions.

The pair have played a combined total of 1,102 senior matches.

“Ben Watson and Jason Pearce bolster our squad,” Adkins told the South London Press. “I can only talk about the 10 games I have had at the football club, in terms of how those players have been.

“Some people might look at what they were like previously, but I looked at their character: how they performed, what they were like on the training ground and what they were like around the place.

“Yes, with Ben Watson we can always talk about athleticism down the line – but he is an exceptional football player with a very intelligent brain.

“He is going to help the likes of Albie Morgan, Ben Dempsey, James Vennings and Aaron Henry – just to name a few of the youngsters coming through the ranks. I’m sure we’ll get some more athletic players in there.

“Ben is there to help us. It’s the same with Jason Pearce. He knows I’m going to bring in a mainline left-sided centre-half. But we’re going to be in three cup competitions this season along with a league campaign.

“We’re going to be very ambitious in what we do, you can’t do that with just 11 players.

“Although I’m looking to keep a stable side, as best as possible, you need to have the back-up of players who understand what it is like and who have been there, seen it and done it.

“They know what it is like travelling, they know what it is like being around the squad, they know what it is like backing everyone up and being a good role model. These people are invaluable.

“I know that from the previous clubs I’ve been at. We had Dean Hammond at Southampton, who was exceptional for it. James Ward-Prowse has been an outstanding captain at Southampton. He had a great role model in Dean Hammond there. I had Seb Larsson at Hull. I watched him playing for Sweden the other day [at the European Championships] – he’s still going strong at whatever age he is.

“I saw Chrissie Gunter playing left-sided centre-half for Wales and he nearly scored as well.

“You need those senior pros but you also need those young, hungry and dynamic players. We have been targeting some of those, but we need to get them across the board.

“There are some big clubs in League One and they are all looking at the same players. Likewise agents and players have the ambition to be in the Championship.

“There is a lot that has been going on. It’s going to be an ongoing situation. We have targets – we’re waiting and speaking to them. They might go elsewhere and then we have to move to the next target we’ve got.”