Exclusive interview with Charlton midfield prospect Karoy Anderson – Liverpool’s Joe Gomez acted as inspiration for Addicks move

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Karoy Anderson has revealed how Liverpool defender Joe Gomez’s impressive rise at Charlton Athletic helped make his mind up that SE7 should be his home.

The 18-year-old, who was born in Lewisham and raised in Sydenham, signed for the Addicks at the age of eight.

Anderson had been on trial with Arsenal and Crystal Palace but the travel commitments for the former were too much for his parents.

Gomez was 17 when he debuted for Charlton in August 2014. Ten months later he signed a five-year contract with Liverpool. The Catford centre-back has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with the Reds.

“When I came Joe was in the first-team,” Anderson, who recently signed an improved four-year contract, told the South London Press. “I went to my barbers and they had his shirt in there. My brother was two years below him and went to the same school, Forest  Hill boys.

“Catford is not far from Sydenham and when we had football sessions he (Gomez) would be around – to see him come from the same area and play for Charlton at such a young age was insane.

“A couple of players in the first team were from South London and they were young – it made me think ‘this is the place’.”

The Addicks’ fortunes on the pitch may have ebbed and flowed since then but one thing has remained constant – the club’s academy producing top youngsters.

Midfielder Anderson scored on his first senior start, a 3-2 EFL Trophy defeat at Plymouth in November 2022, with right-back Nathan Asiimwe providing the assist. Both have started all of Charlton’s League One matches this season.

“We have come up the ages together,” said Anderson, who played with Asiimwe and Millwall’s Romain Esse for the local district team. “At 16 we were playing up [an age group] at U18s and then we did the same at 18, playing up for the U21s.

“When he assisted my goal in the trophy, both of us were on our debuts. When we lost in the play-off final with the U18s at the end of last season we were saying: ‘Imagine breaking into the first team?’ Now it has happened.

“I spend all my time inside and outside of football with him. It’s a lot to take in, I can’t really put it into words.

“Nathan can go to the highest level. The way we think, we don’t really settle for average things. Now we have made the step up we want to stay here and get promoted. We have got goals we aspire to. I don’t think we’d ever get to the point we were in the team and satisfied where we’re at. It’s good to have that kind of person around me.

“Sometimes you can get comfortable, but I think we will be the opposite.”

One of Anderson’s middle names catches the eye – Zidane. So is that a nod to France’s European Championship and World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane?

“I’ve not asked about it,” said Anderson. “When I got older and I was watching football then of course you know about Real Madrid. I watched a bit of Zidane and it’s quite ironic that he was a midfielder, like me. My dad is a football fan. My mum will come and support, because I’m playing, but is not heavily into it.

“I did like Paul Pogba. Jude Bellingham is a young player now doing crazy things. I like (Eduardo) Camavinga, he’s powerful and very good on the ball. Coming through the academy I was playing a deeper midfield role so I watched a lot of Sergio Busquets and how he manipulated the ball.”

Anderson has also played further advanced, both at academy and first-team level.

“I’ve had exposure to all positions because that is the way they develop you,” he said.

“Because you never know what might be needed due to injuries or just different requirements. I feel like I can play as a four or as a 10. I do like eight a lot because you can defend, attack, pass and dribble – all aspects of the game.

“It’s definitely a challenge going up to the first team but it isn’t doing things we haven’t been taught in the younger years. They make the transition easy for us.

“I was on the bench at Welling (in pre-season) and didn’t think I would get minutes – then Miles (Leaburn) got injured and I came on. It was a shock but I was definitely prepared for it – every young player in the academy is waiting for that opportunity. The only thing on my mind was to work hard and impress all the coaching staff.”