'He will come under a little bit of scrutiny but his playing style will win fans over' - Gary Rowett's verdict on Danny McNamara's move to Charlton Athletic

Experienced boss confident defender has mental toughness to overcome any adversity

Gary Rowett reckons that Danny McNamara’s playing style will help endear him to Charlton Athletic supporters and quieten down any dissent about his strong connections to Millwall.

The 27-year-old defender made the move to SE7 last week, agreeing terms until the summer of 2028.

McNamara played 166 first-team matches for his previous employers and was also a season-ticket holder prior to joining their academy set-up.

He started in the Addicks’ youth system but was released at 14, signing the following year for their south London neighbours.

Rowett, who joined Charlton Athletic in 2002 from Leicester City, was the Millwall first-team boss when McNamara made his senior bow for his boyhood club in January 2021 in a 2-0 FA Cup third round win at Boreham Wood.

He started against the National League side and stayed in the side for their next six Championship matches.

“The first obvious thing is not many people end up moving from Millwall to Charlton or vice-versa, because of that little bit of rivalry,” Rowett told South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition. “But, in fairness, if you look at Danny then he wants to continue to play in the Championship.