Former Charlton Athletic defender on why he has joined Dulwich Hamlet

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

When young players come to Dulwich Hamlet, there are no prizes for guessing what they are hoping will happen.

Gavin Rose’s lengthy spell in the managerial hotseat of the club has led to a whole host of footballers – some of them disillusioned with the game – to not only rediscover their appetite but also a pathway back into the professional ranks.

It happened again in June when Nathan Ferguson signed a three-year contract with Crawley Town.

Aaron Barnes wants exactly the same – another crack at making the grade at a higher level.

The right-back, 22, was on the books of Charlton Athletic as a scholar and made four first-team appearances before joining Colchester United in January 2018.

Barnes only managed one outing for the U’s before he was released in May.

“I had some interest from EFL clubs but after my last season at Colchester there wasn’t the opportunity to play first-team football and I wasn’t sure it was right to try going somewhere that I was not going to get game time,” the former Arsenal youth player told the South London Press.

“I felt that playing regularly is what I need at this stage of my career. I had a connection with Gav through Charlton – Jason Euell [development coach]. My agent and I started to talk about the project they had here, the fact they train three mornings a week and the fanbase. All of that was a massive pull.

“It was a brave move to make and hopefully the right one.

“You just have to look at Reise Allassani a couple of years ago. He had been at Palace, had some injuries [and was let go]. Dulwich gave him an opportunity and a platform to get back into the league.

“Pretty much every year it has been like a conveyer belt of players who have fallen out of the league and rediscovered their love for the game.”

Barnes is doing a sports management course at the University of Kent, and the switch to Dulwich will make it easier to balance outside of full-time football.

It all looked set up for him to excel at Colchester after he had impressed on loan at Torquay United – featuring 16 times. He had joined the Gulls just before his Addicks exit was confirmed, his new employers happy for him to stay in Devon for the remainder of that season.

“I’d had a good loan spell but for whatever reason the opportunities never materialised,” explained Barnes. “They had a young left-back whose contract had run out but he ended up re-signing and that blocked my pathway in that sense.

“But you can’t blame external factors. Everything happens for a reason. It was an experience and one that will hopefully hold me in good stead – dealing with low moments in a career.

“I found some of it very difficult and you think ‘is it worth pursuing this career or is it easier to go back into education full-time?’ Luckily I have got a good network of family, friends and mentors who helped push me through those tough times.

“There is also a side of me that does not like to give up or quit.”

Barnes’ professional debut came as a late sub in Charlton’s 3-0 win over Swindon in League One in April 2017.

He followed up with three displays the following season in the EFL Trophy – the Addicks’ victorious in all of them as they defeated the U21 teams of Fulham and Swansea as well as Crawley.

“I left Arsenal in 2010 and signed for Charlton,” said Barnes. “I had a really good time there.

“I played consistently in the [academy] team under Paul Hart and Steve Avory. I was lucky enough to captain the youth team and the U23s. I made my debut under Karl Robinson. He had faith in me to be in and around the first team. But I felt I wanted to go to a team where I would be playing week in and week out.

“I felt going to Colchester would help me push on to the next level but it never materialised. Sometimes you have got to take one step back to go two forward.”
Dulwich have made an impressive start to the National League South campaign. Barnes is not talking down their prospects.

“The play-offs is the minimum we should be aiming for,” he said. “My mentality is that I came here to win things. Promotion is the most important thing for me and the club – to get to the level I believe the fanbase deserves.

“We played a Tottenham side at Champion Hill in pre-season and there were almost 3,000 fans here – that is more than some League Two clubs get. It tells you about the catchment area.

“There are fans who have fallen out of love supporting a bigger club and Dulwich has more of a homely feel. It is a club with fantastic potential. Hopefully it continues to grow in the right direction.”