'He is a young, talented footballer with the world at his feet' - Nathan Jones on Charlton Athletic's Rob Apter and Bolton head coach claiming winger is lacking confidence

Addicks boss also answers a South London Sport subscriber question on whether managing Wales in the future would be appealing

Nathan Jones has talked about the “highs and lows of football” after it was claimed that Rob Apter is suffering from a loss of confidence.

The 22-year-old winger joined Charlton Athletic in the middle of July for an undisclosed fee from Blackpool.

Apter started the Championship campaign in the Addicks’ first-team but was dislodged after the arrival of James Bree on loan from Southampton.

The Liverpudlian’s minutes were heavily reduced after early September. He started just once - the 1-0 victory over Oxford United in December - and was an unused substitute in 14 league matches before making a temporary move to Bolton Wanderers in the January transfer window.

Bolton boss Steve Schumacher told local media that Apter is struggling for belief. The former Scotland U21 international has one assist for them.

“He made a good start for us and I think if he’d have scored in one of those early games, his confidence would have been high. He looks like that confidence type of player.

“I had a good conversation with him to say that I think he’s a really good footballer, he just has to believe in himself a bit.

“He beats himself up, he is awfully hard on himself, but he didn’t get into the game (at Port Vale on March 21 when he was substituted at half-time) and every time we got him the ball, he gave it away. He didn’t put crosses into the box, which is why we’d put him on that side, as a left-footed player. We knew it wasn’t a pitch where he could play on the right, cut in, dribble and create things.”

Apter signed a four-year contract with Charlton and was their seventh addition after winning the League One play-offs.