Chuks Aneke is simply sub-lime! Charlton Athletic striker on being the ultimate bench boost with goal contribution

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Chuks Aneke is not able to pinpoint exactly why he is the very definition of a supersub after once again delivering in Charlton Athletic’s moment of need on Saturday.

The 31-year-old produced a superb finish from the edge of the box to haul the Addicks level in their 1-1 draw against Rotherham United.

Former Chelsea, Swindon Town, Ipswich and Luton forward Sam Parkin, now a pundit, was at The Valley at the weekend to watch the League One contest and labelled Aneke as the best substitute outside of the Premier League.

The numbers also back up that claim. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, no player can better Aneke’s 23 goals off the bench – more than Freddie Ladapo (20) and Jamie Vardy (16).

“Nice,” said Aneke, when told about that stat by the South London Press at Charlton’s Sparrows Lane training ground on Tuesday afternoon.

“I just try and do the job I’m asked to do. I want to win games and keep pushing myself – just to be a threat.

“That’s great words (by Parkin). I don’t know how I feel about it – but I’ll take it, definitely.”

Not every player can adjust to the tempo of a match when they do not start it.

But such is Aneke’s record, even prior to wearing Charlton colours, that you can imagine opposition bosses and defenders inwardly groan at the sight of him stripped off on the sidelines and about to enter the fray.

“It’s just the way I play in games and in training as well – I try and make things happen,” said Aneke, who is in his second spell with the Addicks. “I try and pass forward, play forward and get the game going forward.

“I don’t know why else (I have been so effective). Some players can run all day and some players can’t. It just is what it is.”

Aneke and Tyreece Campbell had already been called back from their touchline warm-ups just moments before Liam Kelly rifled Rotherham ahead.

It then swiftly turned into a triple switch by manager Nathan Jones with Allan Campbell, signed recently on loan from Luton, making his debut. It was the Scot’s pass which Aneke took one touch to control before whipping a right-footed shot past former Charlton keeper Dillon Phillips.

“We went on at 1-0 down so it is kind of self-explanatory what you need to do,” said Aneke.

“I’ve been playing this role for a while now, so it is always the same. Go on and try to make an impact – I was happy to do so again.

“Usually I don’t watch my goals back too much but this one I put on my Instagram. I’ve seen it back quite a bit.

“It’s a good goal – I haven’t scored one like that in a long time. I knew it was going in straight away. You kind of get a feeling. You hope the keeper doesn’t save it. Dills was telling me to pipe down a little bit afterwards!

“They scored a long-range goal but apart from that I don’t think they had much in the game. We applied pressure to them and defended the box well.

“A draw was a fair result.”

It’s a sign of the churn at Charlton in recent years that Aneke has made the most appearances of the current squad (114) and scored the most goals (27).

The hope is that now there is more stability with Jones, who replaced Michael Appleton in February, on a long-term contract and with a track record of building something lasting at Luton.

“We’re in a good place,” said Aneke, who started off in Arsenal’s academy. “I have played with a lot of good players down the line and there is a lot of togetherness with this squad.

“The gaffer has got us playing in a certain way and everyone is buying into it.

“We have started well but we need to keep our feet on the ground. One thing you can never do in football is rest on what you’ve done – you have to keep pushing and going for more.

“I’m not buying into ‘we’re going to be there or thereabouts’.

“Thinking you’re going to do this or that is very stupid and premature.

“It’s very early. I’ve played many seasons and it is not about how you start – it’s how you finish and consistently go about your work.

“That is the challenge.

“I’m really enjoying it. The gaffer is a winner. From the moment he came in the building you could see that. And I am too.

“We have got that in common. I always want to win whether that is training or games. If we have that in common then the rest works itself out.

“You might look at him on the sideline and think he is passionate – but so am I. When you have the right characters in the building then good things can happen.”

Injuries have been a disruption since Aneke returned to SE7 in January 2022. But he has featured in all six of their games in the current campaign after only playing 18 times in the previous one.

Aneke does not have a target in mind for what he wants to achieve between now and the final day at home to Burton Albion on May 3.

“I don’t really want to touch on previous seasons but I’m just trying to affect every game and training session,” he said.

“It’s about habits and then the big stuff will take care of itself. As long as I do that I’ll be okay, I think.”

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