Ex-QPR and Doncaster Rovers star Gallen is new director of football at Charlton

Charlton have appointed head of recruitment Steve Gallen as their director of football.

The 46-year-old joined the club to head its scouting department in April 2017 after almost 20 years as a youth coach at QPR, where his brother Kevin was a first-team star.

Executive Chairman Matt Southall said: “Coming in, we took a bit of time evaluating where the strengths and weaknesses are at the club. From my initial conversations with Steve, I knew he was someone that was going to be integral with us coming in.

“He buys into the model that we’re looking to implement. He’s knowledgeable and he’s got a great track record.

“He’s shown me in the short time I’ve been here that he can deal with the agents and the clubs and this title gives him authority.”

The Addicks signed 15 players in a busy summer 2019 transfer window and Gallen explained he’s looking forward to helping the club moving forward.

“It feels nice,” he said of his new role.

“It’s something the chairman and I have been talking about for a few months since I first met him and for it to be officially announced is a really nice thing.”

Gallen was appointed to the Board of Directors in September 2019 but had to resign from the board as part of East Street Investments’ takeover of the club on January 2nd.

The former Queens Park Rangers’ Caretaker Manager is delighted to have some stability in his role: “I think the title gives me a bit more clout behind-the-scenes to do the best that I can for this football club,” he said.

“It’s brilliant to get ESI and Matt in, he wants to move the club forward. It’s great to get a little bit of stability and that will help us internally to move the club forward.”