Jonny Williams: 'Performance in football is 80 per cent mental - I felt loved, settled and wanted at Charlton Athletic'

Attacking midfielder took a pay cut to extend his Addicks stay after 2019 League One play-off final win

“When you feel valued and wanted as a footballer there is no better feeling. I felt that straight away. I felt special. You’re only going to get close to your best if you feel that way.”

Sometimes a move just feels right. That was certainly the case when Jonny Williams became a Charlton Athletic player.

That instant connection with the Addicks and Lee Bowyer helped the attacking midfielder play some of the best football of his career after transferring to the League One club in January 2019.

Williams was loved. He was instantly accepted by Charlton’s supporters despite the fact he had a 17-year association with Crystal Palace.

It clicked in SE7 for the Kent-born playmaker. So much so that he took a significant pay cut to sign a new contract after the Addicks had won promotion to the Championship.

Jonny Williams is lifted aloft after Charlton’s League One play-off semi-final second leg against Doncaster Rovers/Picture: Paul Edwards

First, let’s cover his arrival at Charlton.

Bowyer had gone to watch a Palace U21 match in late 2018. A few weeks later Williams made a permanent exit from the Eagles. The Charlton boss met Williams and his agent for a coffee in Tunbridge Wells.

“We had a discussion about tactics, where he saw me fitting in and what he liked about me,” recalls Williams. “The main target was to try and get promoted. It really excited me.

“It was a chance to play under Bows - you are aware of the legacy he had as a midfielder and the career he had. Charlton is a massive club. I saw it as a fantastic opportunity.

“It was a dream ending to that season but you can’t ever script that when you’re signing, because there are so many points to play for.

“The deal got done early in the January window. That shows a club wants you, right? It means something. I’ve had late transfers in windows before and you don’t know if you are second, third, fifth or sixth pick.”