Charlton Athletic academy boss gives his verdict as Sean Clare makes return to club – this time as a senior pro

Sean Clare is back where his football journey started – and Charlton Athletic academy chief Steve Avory is backing his second spell to be a big success.

The 24-year-old midfielder became the Addicks’ fifth capture of the summer transfer window when he joined from Oxford United on Tuesday afternoon.

Clare was spotted by senior academy scout Bert Dawkins and signed by Charlton at U11 level. He was part of the same age group as Joe Gomez, Kasey Palmer, Brandon Hanlon and Josh Umerah that reached a national championship final.

Hackney-born Clare moved on to the Nike Academy before signing for Sheffield Wednesday in 2016. Loans at Bury, Accrington and Gillingham followed before a permanent switch to Hearts, who finished runners up in the Scottish Cup in 2019.

“Sean was part of a talented group at Charlton,” Avory told the South London Press. “He was a good technician who could move the ball well.

“He had a lot of physical development still to do. But when I came across him earlier this week, he had certainly developed, I don’t know his height, but he must be about six foot four now.

“He was always determined to make it [as a footballer]. He had a solid family behind him and his dad was always there at training and games. They were very supportive.

“I lost track of him for a year or two and then suddenly he cropped up at Sheffield Wednesday. The move to Hearts must have been a great experience, because he was playing Scottish Premiership football.

“I’ve been left impressed when I saw him play for Sheffield Wednesday and also last season, when he came back to The Valley with Burton – he played at right-back for part of that match as well.

“He has always been full of energy and pace, and because of that it meant he could play in a wide forward position as well when he was here before.”

Clare has made 155 senior appearances with 62 of those coming in League One.

The terms of his transfer back to SE7 are undisclosed. He still had 12 months to run on his Oxford contract, but has now committed to Charlton until the summer of 2023.

“I remember players like Danny Green and Danny Haynes, when they came back, they said to me that everything seems so familiar,” explained Avory. “That helps with their adaptation to the club once again because they are familiar with the environment and the one or two people who still exist.

“When a player has been with you, particularly at that young age, there is that affinity. It is almost that they are a supporter. I believe Sean may well support another London club, but they have got that affinity with Charlton because it made such an impression on them when they were schoolboys. There is a nostalgic element to it as well.

“I really am delighted to see a player of his calibre come back. You do get a certain amount of pleasure out of it, because they want to come back to Charlton and a club that did so much for them as part of their initial development.

“I’m a youth developer and I believe that many impressions are made on players – mentally, physically, technically and tactically – when they are at an academy for a length of time, like he was. I’m confident he will do well and I’m confident he’ll want to succeed with us.”