Charlton boss Dean Holden addresses Macauley Bonne social media and ‘head turned’ comment after signing striker

Dean Holden has spoken at length to the South London Press about Charlton Athletic’s move for Macauley Bonne.

The 27-year-old striker is back in SE7, joining on a deal until the end of June.

Bonne was recently released from his QPR contract, which was due to expire this summer, by mutual consent.

And Holden has moved to address comments that the frontman made when he left Charlton in October 2020 – claiming his head had been instantly been turned by the R’s interest – as well as a social media post after a return to South London fell through on deadline day in the summer transfer window.

“He’s been at the club before and scored goals in the Championship for the club,” said Holden. “He had a good goal return last season with Ipswich in League One.

“I’ve spoken to Macauley at length on a number of occasions around this move. I’m aware of where he is at, in terms of his release from QPR and what has happened previously – when he first left the club and was talking about having his head turned and the tweet scenario in the summer when he was potentially coming back.

“I’ve had good detailed conversations on that. He’s assured me that certainly the tweet that went out was not, at all, aimed at Charlton Athletic fans. He was in a position with QPR where he felt there was a situation he wasn’t happy with. That is where that tweet was aimed at.

“We’re working really hard to build a reconnect with our supporters and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise that. He reassured me that was the case.

“The first comment about having his head turned by QPR was when he was younger. He’d come from non-league and been playing at a lower level. He’d had one year in the Championship with Charlton. They came in for him and he wanted to stay in the Championship. It was a good move for the club financially – what they paid for him to what they sold him at – and it was a good move financially for Macauley.

“He went there and I think it’s fair to say he hasn’t enjoyed the last couple of seasons since leaving Charlton. He absolutely loved it here. I had to get to the bottom of the other situations but then think, okay, where is he now at the present? He’s absolutely desperate to pull that shirt back on again. He’s keen to go. He’s in good nick, he’s only been away for a week or so from training with QPR.

“I speak a lot about players playing for the shirt and running through brick walls, things like that, and I wouldn’t bring a player to this club that I didn’t think was going to do that.

“Speaking to him I can see in his eyes how keen he is to pull that shirt back on. It’s a short-term contract as well, don’t forget, so he’s very, very hungry to come here and do well.”