Mandela Egbo on having no regrets at quitting Crystal Palace and the huge draw of joining Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic’s new recruit Mandela Egbo claims he has no regrets about his decision to quit Crystal Palace, adding that the life experiences he went on to gain were invaluable.

The right-back signed for the Addicks on Tuesday on a two-year deal, with the League One club holding an option for an extra 12 months.

Egbo turned down a professional deal with the Eagles a month before his 18th birthday to sign for Borussia Monchengladbach.

The defender, part of the England squad which won the European U17 Championship in 2014, made one senior appearance for the German club. He then joined Darmstadt, in the second tier in the Bundesliga, before a spell with New York Red Bulls in the MLS.

“When I was young I decided I wanted to go a bit of a different route – and that was at a time when not many lads were doing that,” Egbo told the South London Press.

“It was definitely an adventure and the experiences I gained from that are priceless – no regrets as far as that is concerned.

“It’s time for me now to come home and build a career in England.

“People can say if I had done this [stayed at Palace] I could’ve gone on and played in the Premier League at such a young age – there are a few players that did that, but there are many more who dropped out of the game, especially in my age group.

“Nobody is saying I would have had 150 Premier League appearances now anyway. Hindsight makes it easier to say you could have done this or that.

“I’ve played games in different countries and different levels. For a 24-year-old kid I’m kind of more experienced than my years anyway.

“I’m over the moon to get this deal sorted. I can’t wait to get on the pitch for Charlton and start playing.”

Egbo has played under new Charlton boss Ben Garner during his time in Palace’s academy and also at Swindon, signing a short-term deal in March after his return from America. He played the final 11 matches as Town lost in the League Two play-offs to Port Vale.

“There are no favours in football, so it was only a case of if he needed the position and if everybody in the scouting network thought it was a good deal,” said Egbo. “When they all decided it could be, they gave me a shout and after that it didn’t take too long.

“First of all the club didn’t have to convince me too much – it’s huge. And playing under the gaffer, who I know so well and how he plays, it does the rest of the convincing.

“I had him at a few different age groups, including the first tournament I went to when I was still on trial at Palace. I’ve got a team photo of me at 10 and Ben looking a fair bit younger as well.

“He had me again at 14 or 15, again at U18s and then I was in and around the fringes when he went up to the first team [coaching team].

“His strengths are his calmness – the way he talks to the boys – and his tactical nous, the way he analyses games. We do a lot of shape work, so there’s never any doubts about how we’re going to line up and the patterns we’re going to play.

“His man-management is top. He understands the boys and lets them be free in themselves.”