Football League World

Huddersfield Town are in search of a new attacking midfielder, as Lee Grant continues to shape his squad that he hopes will be capable of winning promotion from League One this season.

After a disappointing campaign which saw a late collapse leaving the Terriers outside the play-off places, there's certainly been no messing around in the transfer window to try and achieve promotion this time around.

Grant has already been very busy this window, bringing in some hugely impressive and smart signings for the Yorkshire-based club, which helped them kick off the new season with a 3-0 victory over last season's play-off finalists Leyton Orient.

However, the rookie boss isn't done yet, with reports from Alan Nixon via his X account revealing that Huddersfield want to add a new attacking midfielder to their ranks before the transfer window shuts in just under a month, despite adding Chelsea loanee Leo Castledine in recently.

With that in mind, Football League World opted to look at two options for a new attacking midfielder Huddersfield could explore this summer.

One player who is somewhat of an unknown for the season ahead is Cameron Humphreys at Ipswich Town.

The 21-year-old had an excellent loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers last season, but it's unclear where he fits in at Portman Road this term.

Having come so close to gaining promotion with the Chairboys last season, the midfielder could be an excellent option for Huddersfield, providing a proven League One player who is only going to get better and better.

Whilst it would likely only be a loan deal for Town, getting one of the best midfielders in the division from last season would be yet another huge statement from the Terriers, and he would bring some excellent qualities to the side.

Comfortable in Grant's preferred 4-2-3-1 system as the middle attacking midfielder, Humphreys brings energy, great ball retention, and the ability to unlock defences with his quick link-up play. He's also proven to be capable of moments of individual brilliance to win games.

Tottenham Hotspur have made young attacking midfielder Alfie Devine available for loan once again this season, after a strong campaign with Westerlo in the Belgian Pro League last season.

The 21-year-old is a highly-rated prospect with the Premier League giants, and could well be a huge addition for Huddersfield, having already gained valuable experience in the EFL with Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle respectively.

Similarly to Humphreys, the system that Grant uses for his Terriers side will bring the best out of Devine, with two wingers besides him and the sole striker in front. The Spurs prospect would have creative freedom to link the defence to the attack, which is a role he would absolutely thrive in.

Dominant with the ball at his feet, Devine has the ability to evade the press and create moments of magic by using his mobility and technical ability, whilst also being able to chip in with a goal every so often thanks to his intelligent forward runs.

Tottenham may prefer a Championship move for Devine at this moment in time, given he's already experienced the division, but sending him to an expected League One promotion contender in the form of Huddersfield could be just as beneficial to get him on the ball and develop as much as possible.

Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson played a key role in getting Tottenham Hotspur loanee Ashley Phillips to return to the club.

It came as a surprise to many when the young Spurs centre-back chose to return to the bet365 Stadium for a second stint with the club, especially following a campaign that almost led to Stoke's relegation to League One.

The 20-year-old was one of the few strong performers in the City camp in the 2024/25 campaign, helping the Potters to keep 10 clean sheets in his 35 starts in the Championship.

Another big reason behind Stoke's survival was their Swedish international goalkeeper. In his first season with the red and white-striped side, Johansson continued to show why many people felt that he was one of the best shot-stoppers in the division, even in his relegation season with Rotherham United.

He recorded the second-highest goals prevented in the division, only behind James Trafford, and, unsurprisingly, he won the supporters' Player of the Season award.

Viktor Johansson's part in securing the signing of Ashley Phillips

There were reports that West Ham United and other Premier League clubs were interested in the 26-year-old on Monday, however they have decided to pursue another target between the sticks in the form of Botafogo's John.

Stoke Sentinel reporter Pete Smith said, amid the keeper's links with the top flight, that the Potters weren't expecting any approaches for their number one and that Johansson was happy at the bet365 Stadium.

In the same post on X, Smith also revealed the part that the former Rotherham captain played in Stoke's move for Phillips. According to the journalist, Johansson led a group of the club's players who urged the 20-year-old to return to the Trent-side city.

The Championship side clearly have a good relationship with Phillips' parent club as they have also managed to beat some of their second-tier competitors to the signing of Jamie Donley, Spurs' young Northern Irish international who had a breakout season with Leyton Orient last term.

Stoke's incredibly impressive loan summer signings

Donley's arrival makes it three impressive Premier League loanees that have come aboard the ship captained by Mark Robins this summer - Manchester City's Divin Mubama being the third of them, alongside the two north London-based prospects.

Championship clubs are limited to how many temporary acquisitions they can use - up to five in the matchday squad - so Stoke are nearing their max on that front.

They have received some criticism this summer for some of their transfer activity, particularly the sale of Wouter Burger to Hoffenheim. What you can't doubt is that they definitely know how to convince top-flight clubs to send their brightest talents their way.

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are both monitoring the situation surrounding Bilal El Khannouss at Leicester City.

According to TBR Football, both of the Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on the forward ahead of a potential move.

The Morocco international joined the Foxes last summer following their promotion to the top flight, but relegation back to the Championship has led to uncertainty over his future.

El Khannouss featured 32 times in the league, contributing two goals and three assists, with Leicester finishing 18th in the table, one place below Spurs.

Tottenham and Newcastle eye Leicester swoop

Tottenham and Newcastle are among the Premier League sides keeping tabs on El Khannouss this summer.

It is believed that multiple clubs still think he is capable of competing in the top flight despite Leicester suffering relegation last season.

Spurs and the Magpies face potential competition from Crystal Palace, who have also been linked with the player.

The likes of West Ham, Leeds United and Arsenal have all also been mentioned as possible destinations for the 21-year-old.

El Khannouss has a contract with the Foxes until the summer of 2028 after joining from Genk last summer.

However, it has been previously reported that the player has a release clause worth €26 (£22.5) million release clause in his deal.

Leicester City’s summer business

Martí Cifuentes has taken over at Leicester since their relegation was confirmed, replacing Ruud van Nistelrooy as manager.

The Spaniard has overseen the arrival of Asmir Begovic, in what has been a quiet summer for the Foxes.

The club have until 1 September to conclude any remaining transfer business before the market shuts.

Leicester will begin their Championship campaign on 10 August with a clash against Sheffield Wednesday.

El Khannouss sale would hurt Leicester

Leicester haven’t been spending this summer and their financial position likely means there won’t be much to come in the last month of the market either.

Perhaps a sale could generate funds for a couple of additions, which might be what Cifuentes wants at this stage.

However, losing El Khannouss would be a blow, as they would love to have his attacking threat in the Championship.

The Morocco international didn’t quite shine in the Premier League, but a year in the second division might be what he needs at this stage of his career, especially as he should be guaranteed regular minutes as a starter with the Foxes, which he might not get at any of these other clubs.

But, having shown glimpses of real star quality in such a struggling side, it's little wonder why so many clubs are circling around his services and, in all honesty, Leicester need to be prepared for the inevitability of his exit in the coming weeks and should already be targeting replacements accordingly.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

West Bromwich Albion were never expected to be the biggest spenders in this transfer window, but they have been effective in the deals that they have made.

The club's chairman and owner, Shilen Patel, warned supporters early in the summer that they weren't going to be splashing cash all over the pitch in order to renovate Ryan Mason's options.

Still, they have made three permanent signings in Nat Phillips, Aune Heggebo and George Campbell, players that are hopefully going to be upgrades on some of the current options.

West Brom have also held onto winger Mikey Johnston after some heavy links with Brazilian side Flamengo. He is expected to play a significant role in Mason's team in the upcoming campaign.

Albion wanted another Mikey (Moore) to help out creatively, but the Tottenham Hotspur winger that they and Birmingham City were after is now looking likely to head north of the border to link up with Russell Martin at Rangers.

West Brom told to go after alternative Tottenham youngster after Mikey Moore revelation

There are an abundance of other Premier League loanees that the Baggies could look at, though. Football League World's West Brom fan pundit Callum Burgess believes that another of Spurs' youngsters, Jamie Donley, could be a great option for his side to look at.

The attacking midfielder spent last season in League One, on loan at Leyton Orient. He helped to guide them into the play-offs, where they lost in the final to Chartlon Athletic.

Albion have been linked with him this summer, but it was latterly reported in late June that Tottenham were batting back offers for the 20-year-old Northern Irishman at the time.

"A somewhat realistic choice for who I'd love to see Albion sign before the end of the transfer win now would be Jamie Donley on loan from Tottenham," said Burgess.

"He had a really impressive loan spell at Leyton Orient last year and got nearly double digits in both goals and assists.

"He can play attacking midfield, central midfield and also further forward on the left, I believe, so he'd be really versatile, and I think that he'd bring a creative spark to the Albion team that we might be missing with the departures of [Grady] Diangana and [John] Swift.

"While we've got Tammer Bany and Isaac Price who can fill in as attacking midfielders, I think Donley would be a really good creative option and would bring lots of creativity to the side and support our attackers really well."

West Brom should go after Jamie Donley, 100%

Donley certainly looks ready for the step up to the Championship from League One. He's got that confidence in his ability that a lot of younger players struggle to find, especially in their first moves away from their parent clubs.

Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion are set to miss out on landing Tottenham Hotspur youngster Mikey Moore on loan, with one former Championship boss looking likely to secure his services.

The two sides' respective promotion hopes haven't been directly mirrored by their transfer action this summer. West Brom's chairman, Shilen Patel, admitted that they weren't cash-rich heading into the transfer window and that spending may be limited.

Meanwhile, slightly south of them, the Championship returnees are pulling out all the stops to give themselves the best chance of securing back-to-back promotions as possible.

Attacking options in wide areas of the pitch have been on Ryan Mason and Chris Davies' agendas. One of their reported targets was Moore, the 17-year-old Spurs winger who was once compared to Neymar by his teammate James Maddison. Unfortunately, he is not looking likely to join either side.

Birmingham and West Brom set for Mikey Moore transfer blow

Instead, Moore's most likely destination is Rangers, linking up with former Southampton head coach Russell Martin, according to Matt Law. Despite interest from the Championship, as the Daily Telegraph reporter put it, Ibrox is his most likely landing spot at this stage.

Football Insider claimed that Birmingham and Albion were interested in bringing him to the Midlands from north London this summer, but it was unclear at that stage what Tottenham's plans for the youngster were.

That was until another report from the aforementioned online outlet, which stated that new boss Thomas Frank had reluctantly agreed to let Moore leave on loan this summer in order to continue his development.

Moore's role in Spurs' first-team increased last season under Ange Postecoglou. He made 10 Premier League appearances, including three starts, and he racked up some continental experience in the Europa League, which Tottenham won.

Talking about the young winger after a sensational performance against AZ Alkmaar, the Aussie manager said, via The Athletic: "It’s exciting. You have got such a young player who wants that responsibility to make an impact, rather than just sometimes with young players they are a bit worried about making mistakes.

"He is developing well. We have to be really careful about how we use him, and when we use him, that is the key for us, particularly in these early stages."

Birmingham and West Brom will be frustrated by latest Mikey Moore development

Players that have that sort of confidence and belief at that age will always stand out. You hear a lot of these types of youngsters described by pundits as being fearless. That's exactly the sort of trait that sides like Birmingham and West Brom will look for in potential loanees; someone that's going to affect games rather than let somebody else do it.

Had Postecoglou, a former Celtic manager, still been in charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, then the chances of Rangers landing Moore on loan probably would've lessened, even just slightly, which would've handed the two interested Championship outfits a boost in their hopes of signing him.

It'll be frustrating for them if Moore lives up to expectations north of the border. Based on the data we have so far on him, that outcome is looking quite likely.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Stoke City have completed a second loan deal with Tottenham Hotspur that will see Ashley Phillips return to the bet365 Stadium for another season.

The Potters have made a handful of signings to bolster Mark Robins' playing squad this summer, as they look to try and snap their seven-year-long bottom-half curse in the Championship in 2025/26.

Maksym Talovierov, Aaron Cresswell, Sorba Thomas and Divin Mubama have all penned deals with the club. However, City have just seen star midfielder Wouter Burger depart for German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, in what will be a major blow to the team.

But, the disappointment surrounding that deal has been largely extinguished by the news that Phillips, a highly-rated young central defender who impressed during his season-long loan spell in the Potteries last season, has signed on for another term.

"Massive" - Stoke City lauded for Ashley Phillips deal - Premier League claim made

We asked our Stoke City fan pundit, Daniel Buxton: 'Stoke have managed to re-sign Ash Phillips on another season-long loan. Is this a huge coup for the club given he was said to be in Thomas Frank's plans? Is it a statement to the rest of the division?'

Buxton said: "Well, put it this way: I've just seen the signing of Phillips, and I'm currently on holiday, and I've just let out a massive 'GET IN THERE!'

"He is a massive signing. Absolutely huge. I have no doubt he is a Premier League player, and I believe that he could play in the Premier League now, so it's massive for us.

"We actually interviewed Ashley Phillips a couple of weeks ago - for the Every Step Along The Way Podcast - and he was saying then that his happiest time has been playing at Stoke - he's absolutely loved it.

"But he wanted to see if he could give it a go at Spurs, but they've signed a few players in his position (Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai), so he's obviously felt that chances are going to be limited.

"So I think him, we've got Talovierov coming in from Plymouth and we've still got Ben Wilmot and Ben Gibson as well, we've got Aaron Creswell that we've signed who can play in the left of a three as well.

"We've got all different types of options now, we've got strength in depth, and like I say, he would get into any team in this division Ashley Phillips would.

"So it's a massive deal for Stoke. He fits us, we fit him, so hopefully it's a mutually beneficial deal that maybe, just maybe, sees us fly up the league for once! Who knows, maybe he will be playing in the Premier League with us."

Stoke City may have finally rectified defensive issues with new-look 25/26 Potters unit

It's been a frustrating few years in the Potteries, with perennial bottom-half finishes and precious little for Stoke fans to get overly excited about.

However, change may well be on the wind, as an encouraging summer of transfer business so far appears to be setting Robins up to deliver the club's most competitive Championship team, perhaps since their Premier League relegation in 2018, next season.

With their cutting edge sharpened with the arrivals of Mubama and Thomas, with perhaps a couple of further reinforcements in that department still to arrive too, Stoke have perhaps done their best work so far at the other end of the pitch.

The Potters shipped 62 goals on their way to an 18th-placed finish last season, conceding an average of 1.3 goals per game, in what was a hugely frustrating campaign all-round.

However, getting one of their brightest sparks back in Phillips for another term, whilst also adding a veteran and experienced figure in Cresswell alongside the talented Talovierov - who was excellent for Plymouth after joining them in January - could see Stoke's new-look defensive unit bring about major improvements in 25/26.

Stoke City have secured the return of 20-year-old centre-back Ash Phillips on a second successive season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Phillips becomes the fifth summer acquisition for Mark Robins' side and rejoins a squad that finished 18th in the Championship last term after conceding 62 goals.

According to journalist Alan Nixon on his Patreon, new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank reportedly informed Spurs' hierarchy that the 6ft 3in defender was in his first-team thoughts - and to reject any loan offers.

Despite that stance, former Potter and current sporting director at Stoke - Jonathan Walters - convinced Spurs to sanction another temporary switch, branding the deal "a major achievement" when it was announced on 23rd July.

Ash Phillips could be a "real asset" for Stoke City

Sky Sports pundit, Don Goodman, has exclusively told FLW his thoughts on Phillips re-signing for the Potters - initially finding it hard to believe he would've been near Thomas Franks' plans at all.

"With respect, I find it difficult to think that Ash Phillips would be part of Thomas Frank's plans for Spurs given he’s only 20, it’s been a real short, fledgling career," Goodman told FLW.

Phillips started all 35 matches he appeared in during the 24/25 campaign, playing a total of 3,082 minutes - the second-most for a centre-back at the Stafforshire outfit behind Ben Wilmot (3,243).

Goodman also pointed out how his other second-tier loan spells were to relegation-threatened sides, "He’s only ever played in struggling teams at the bottom end of the Championship," Goodman added.

Although he made eight Championship appearances for Blackburn Rovers before signing for Spurs in 2023, Phillips joined Plymouth Argyle on loan the year after and played 18 times as the Pilgrims finished 21st.

"Stoke’s defensive record wasn’t great last season, that wasn’t down to Ash Phillips of course it wasn’t, but what we’ve got at the moment is we’ve got a player with huge potential that could be a real asset for Mark Robins and Stoke City next season," Goodman continued.

"So, hopefully he’ll manage to have a season where he’s part of a team that isn’t struggling at the wrong end of the Championship."

The road ahead for Ash Phillips and Stoke City

Unlike last season, when the Potters flirted with relegation before staying up on the final day against Derby County, expectations are already higher for 25/26.

Robins has already bolstered his squad with the likes of Premier League-experienced left-back Aaron Cresswell and Slovakian international Robert Bozenik from Portuguese outfit FC Boavista - with the latter playing for his country at Euro 2024.

Nixon also reported that several clubs were keen on signing Phillips before Frank had shooed them away - including Sheffield United, who have since signed Tyler Bindon on loan from Nottingham Forest.

Upon Phillips coming back to Staffordshire, Robins spoke of his delight on the situation after a pre-season win to Crewe.

"He was brilliant for us last season," Robins told StokeonTrent Live.

"I spoke with him while we were away in Spain and Jon Walters has been working really hard behind the scenes on that and thankfully he's got it over the line.

"We're over the moon," he added.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to let Mikey Moore go out on loan next season.

The 17-year-old made 10 appearances under Ange Postecoglou in North London last season, and was initially seen as someone whom Thomas Frank would like to include in his plans for next season.

However, according to Football Insider, that appears to have changed with the Danish manager now willing to let him get regular first-team experience, especially with Spurs unlikely to be able to rotate in Europe due to the quality of the Champions League. Both the Baggies and the Blues had registered an interest in him earlier this window, and that may well be re-accelerated due to today's news.

West Brom

The Ryan Mason factor could trigger a move to the Hawthorns

Moore worked under Mason for a while in North London, with the new West Brom manager having had two stints as caretaker manager during the prodigy's time at Spurs - as well as a large chunk of time as an assistant manager to Postecoglou, Antonio Conte, Nuno Espírito Santo and José Mourinho.

Having taken on his first role as a manager at the Baggies this summer, the 34-year-old will be keen for some attacking reinforcements, with young Norwegian striker Aune Heggebo the only non-centre-back signed this window.

A move to the Baggies could also be on the cards due to the two clubs' excellent relationship. Before the aforementioned Mason deal, another young Tottenham Hotspur attacking talent, Will Lankshear, spent the second half of last season on loan at the Baggies, although he only made 11 appearances and scored no goals.

Birmingham City

Blues could continue summer rebuild with a move for Moore

Birmingham are undoubtedly having one of the best transfer windows in recent second tier history, and they don't appear to be stopping any time soon. Chris Davies' side are a very real contender for back-to-back promotions due to some superb deals such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Tommy Doyle, Eiran Cashin and James Beadle coming through the door.

However, the likes of Mark Harris, Kieran Dowell and Alfie May have left the club, and those key members of the League One title-winning side last year will be missed in offensive positions, opening up the need for someone like Moore to complement Bright Osayi-Samuel and Demarai Gray.

West Brom would be the ideal solution

Despite the superior window that Blues have had, arguably more questions still arise as to how he would fit into the Birmingham lineup than the West Brom one. Although, as was exhibited by his Spurs teammate Lankshear, getting into either long-term will not be the easiest of jobs.

Despite this, a move to the Baggies, to link up with his old coach Ryan Mason, and to play with exciting attacking talent such as Isaac Price and Tom Fellows, may just switch his attentions to a move to the Hawthorns.

Millwall are interested in striking a permanent deal for highly-rated Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alfie Devine ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 Championship campaign.

As first reported on Thursday afternoon by Daniel Marsh in the Mirror's live transfer news blog (12:13PM), Devine has emerged as a target for the Lions in a bid to bolster their squad in preparation for next season.

It has been a relatively quiet summer transfer window at Millwall, with Max Crocombe arriving from Burton Albion alongside Josh Coburn and Zak Sturge following their loan spells with the club from Middlesbrough and Chelsea respectively last term.

But they are poised to complete a fresh arrival imminently in the form of Massimo Luongo, with the ex-Ipswich Town midfielder reportedly undertaking a medical ahead of his move to the Lions after spending time on trial this summer.

The focus, it would seem, is retaining the services of star forward Mihailo Ivanovic, who is valued at a reported £13.8 million by Millwall amid interest from Italian side Parma and others. Keeping hold of former Spurs defender Japhet Tanganga is also a big priority, of course.

However, Alex Neil remains keen on adding to his squad before the window slams shut at the end of next month, with Millwall looking to build upon last season's eighth-placed finish.

Millwall interested in Spurs' Alfie Devine

According to the aforementioned update, Devine is a target for Millwall on a permanent basis following a number of loan moves away from parent club Spurs.

Devine first joined the North London side back in 2020 from Wigan Athletic, initially linking up with the club's academy. The attacking midfielder's impressive displays at age-group level for both club and country have seen him long earmarked as a star for the future, and still aged just 20, he will be hoping to kick on further and realise that potential in the coming years.

Devine spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle, gaining experience at both League One and Championship level.

Those stints, however, proved somewhat mixed, with the talented playmaker truly establishing himself in the Belgian top-flight with Westerlo last season by scoring six goals from 30 league appearances.

He has since returned to Spurs and has been involved in pre-season under new boss Thomas Frank, although he could be on the move once again before long.

Spurs' Alfie Devine could be a strong signing for Millwall

It's easy to see exactly why Millwall are interested in completing a deal for Devine.

The Lions have been a well-drilled unit under Neil, but remain in search of creativity and goals from midfield.

Devine's profile as an inventive, attack-minded midfielder with an eye for goal would ensure that box is ticked, while his age would also bring exciting long-term upside to a club which has leaned upon a youth-centred recruitment policy in recent times with the intention of harnessing resale value and gaining significant profit further down the line.

In the early 2000s, Charlton Athletic were one of the mainstays in the Premier League, finishing as high as seventh in the 2003/04 season.

Their starting right back throughout that time was a former seven-time England international, Luke Young, who not only made his breakthrough in the Three Lions’ senior squad whilst he was playing at The Valley, but also made more appearances there than he did in the rest of his career.

Young enjoyed a truly incredible career where he played consistent top-flight football for 14 straight years, amassing 378 Premier League appearances and only playing one league game outside the division - his final game for QPR in April 2014.

Many clubs will remember him fondly, but it’s at Charlton Athletic where he is known best.

Luke Young’s £3 million Charlton switch from Tottenham Hotspur

Luke Young started his career in the Tottenham Hotspur academy, making his first-team debut in November 1998.

That season, 19-year-old Young made 22 appearances in all competitions, started in the League Cup quarter-final victory over Manchester United (which Spurs went on to win) and played all 120 minutes of their FA Cup semi-final defeat against Newcastle United.

Young would spend another couple of seasons at White Hart Lane, playing at least 20 times in the league in both seasons, before he made the switch to the Valley in a move worth £3 million, a week after his 22nd birthday.

Charlton had just finished ninth in their first season back in the Premier League and were looking to make a splash in that summer’s transfer market to retain their top-flight status, and in doing so, landed a right-back who would become a cult hero at the club.

Young would spend six seasons playing for the Addicks, amassing over 200 appearances during that time. Immediately, he was the first-choice right back, and his starts per season jumped from the high teens whilst at Tottenham to the early 30s at the Valley, starting in 34 of the 38 Premier League games in his first campaign at the club.

Charlton's best season during that run saw Young suffer his first real injury setback, as he appeared in just 24 league games throughout the 2003/04 season. The Addicks actually went on a solid run with him out of the side, and found themselves in the top four in January when the full-back returned after missing nearly three months. Ultimately, Charlton dropped off and finished seventh, seven points behind Liverpool, who finished in fourth place.

Young's most productive season came in the 2004/05 campaign, when he started 36 of the 38 Premier League games and helped his side to an 11th-placed finish. That term also saw him net his first goals for the Addicks, as he started the season with two in the opening six games.

It was in May 2005, at the culmination of that campaign, that, following an injury to Gary Neville, he was called up to the England senior squad for the first time. He made his first two England appearances from the bench in friendly wins against the USA and Colombia.

Unfortunately, an ankle injury stopped him from making it to the 2006 World Cup, and he was unable to keep Charlton up the following season. That campaign also saw him miss some time through injury, but the Addicks went on a six-game unbeaten run, which lifted them out of the bottom three upon his return. No wins in the five following that saw their seven-year stay in the top flight end.

At 28 years old, he saw his future outside the Championship and departed the club in July 2007.

Luke Young could have stayed at Charlton if not for their Premier League relegation

Then-Charlton manager Alan Pardew said that Luke Young left the Addicks with his full blessing, appreciating that he wanted to continue his Premier League career, and that sentiment was echoed across the Charlton fanbase as he was clearly good enough to continue in the top flight.

Young would join Middlesbrough for £2.5 million, but his time on Teesside only lasted a season before he made the switch to Aston Villa, who were in the midst of a series of top-six finishes and European campaigns between 2005-2008.

His first season at Villa Park saw him play seven times in the UEFA Cup as Aston Villa made it to the Round-Of-32 stage. Young even captained the side in their 2-0 defeat to CSKA Moscow, which ultimately knocked them out of the competition.

He spent two more seasons at Aston Villa before signing for QPR following their promotion to the Premier League.

It was clear that Young was driven by the dream of playing in the Premier League, and he retired having made 378 appearances in the English top flight. Perhaps if Charlton had stayed in the division in the 2006/07 campaign, Young would have remained an Addick.

Nevertheless, his time at the Valley is fondly remembered, and he’ll go down in history as a hero at Charlton Athletic.