Charlton Athletic sign Swindon Town keeper Joe Wollacott
Charlton Athletic have signed Swindon Town goalkeeper Joe Wollacott.
The 25-year-old, who was named in League Two’s Team of the Season, is out of contract at the start of next month. He has signed until the summer of 2025.
Wollacott’s distribution was identified as a key part of Ben Garner’s plan to play attacking and possession-based football.
He is the second player that the new Addicks boss has snapped up from his Swindon side that reached the play-off semi-finals last season.
Bristol-born Wollacott is also a Ghana international.
He said: “I’m delighted. It’s the sort of club that you always want to be at. You always have the ambition to play for such a high-profile club. Obviously walking around the stadium you can feel the magnitude of the club. I’m really happy to be here.
“Ben being here made it an easy decision. We had a really good season last year. Obviously I know how he wants to play and I know how he wants his goalkeeper to play. I feel like, for the next step in my career, he can really develop my game.”
Garner added: “It’s another strong signing for us. Obviously Jojo is a player that I know very well having worked with him last season. He is a player with huge potential moving forwards as well and, again, he fits the character and the type of person that we want to bring into the football club.”
Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard said: “Joe is a very talented goalkeeper with an exciting future and I’m delighted to be able to bring him to Charlton Athletic. He was in the League Two Team of the Season last year for good reason – he is a good shotstopper, with a command of his area and is excellent on the ball too, which is important for us given the attacking style of football we are looking to play.”
His arrival casts some doubt over the future of Craig MacGillivray. The former Portsmouth stopper had been first choice for Charlton in the 2021-22 campaign, only making way for Stephen Henderson in cup competitions.
It seems likely that Charlton would listen to offers for MacGillivray, who still has 12 months to run on his contract.
Wollacott started off his career at Bristol City and had a number of loans, many of them to non-league clubs, before joining them permanently last summer on a one-year deal.
He kept 10 clean sheets last season.
Wollacott told the Swindon Advertiser in April that he was not surprised at his turnaround in fortunes which had also seen him become first choice for Ghana and help them reach this year’s World Cup finals.
“That’s just the way football works,” he said.
“It’s just a game where it’s a matter of opinions. If I was to give anyone any advice, it would be: “believe in yourself” because that’s just the way football is.
“One person’s opinion is irrelevant compared to your own opinion. Just believe in yourself, be patient, and keep working hard.
“I won’t know for sure what my emotions will be like until I go [to the World Cup], but at the moment I’m pretty happy.
“But you have to have a sense of humility – you can’t get ahead of yourself. I am looking forward to it.”