Middlesbrough loanee determined to pay back Charlton Athletic’s patience in winter transfer window

EXCLUSIVE
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Alex Gilbert is determined to reward the patience that Charlton Athletic showed in securing his services at the end of the winter transfer window.

The 23-year-old is in line for his debut in tomorrow’s home game against Stevenage after joining on loan from Middlesbrough.

And Gilbert, who sat down with the South London Press earlier this week at the Addicks’ training ground, has revealed that the Teessiders were perfectly happy to keep him in Michael Carrick’s squad.

“I ended last season well and there was no talk of me going anywhere in the summer,” said the attacking midfielder. “There were a few clubs sniffing around and having a look at me but I was only thinking of being at Boro and fighting for my place.

“I’ve definitely not had as much game time as I’d have wanted. It’s tough for a young player to carve their way in the game.

“That led on to January. There were a few people at Boro, the manager being one, who still wanted to keep me there – being in the position where they are going for the play-offs – but I was a big pusher for going somewhere I’m going to play football.

“Turning 23 a month or so ago, it was a big push for me to go somewhere I am going to play football.

“I said to them (Charlton) when I eventually came that I really appreciated them holding out for me. I said I wanted the move to happen a few weeks ago, so I could get playing games.

“All that young players are seeking is a manager who believes in you. All you can do is hope one day that someone is going to give you that opportunity. I feel like I’m good enough to play at Boro in the Championship – hopefully I can prove that even more on this loan and do well here.

“Charlton is a big club. They deserve to be in the Championship and should be in the Championship. I’m going into a team that is doing well – they have good momentum, a good manager, good staff and good players. Hopefully I can play a big part in that and get us to where we want to be.”

Gilbert, who has made 10 appearances in all competitions this season, has taken the number 17 shirt at Charlton.

“In January you are pretty limited for choice, all the good numbers have already been taken by the lads,” he said. “It was one that was available. Funnily enough I said I had got number 17 and one of my friends said: ‘Eden Hazard wore that’. I said: ‘If I’m half as good as he was then we’ll be doing alright!’”

When asked about his targets for his stay in SE7, it is interesting that Gilbert instantly looks beyond just featuring regularly.

“The appearances are good and you look back thinking ‘I had a good experience there’, but me being the player I am, I’ll always be thinking I want goals and assists,” he said. “I’ve never really put a number on things.

“Once I get on the pitch and get a feel for it then I like to think when the first one goes in then it is hopefully a bit of a domino effect and they keep coming.

“I’d say I’m a number 10, but I wouldn’t say I play that as a midfield-type role. All through my academy career I was pretty much a striker. I like to think I have striker instincts – I make the box and I will run in behind to get on the ball.

“I can be a bit free-flowing. I don’t like to pin myself down. I like to move around the pitch and basically try to pick up where I can damage the opposition the most. I want to create and score some goals.”

It is Gilbert’s second time at a capital club.

He started off in West Brom’s academy before joining Brentford’s B team in September 2020.

“I had to move into an apartment on my own for the first time, that was a learning curve,” said Gilbert. “I would have been 18.

“I got into the apartment and realised I didn’t know how to turn on the washing machine. I had to learn all these things very quickly. YouTube was very handy.

“There were a lot of phonecalls back to dad and mum about cooking. It probably took an hour to prepare a meal and I had burnt chicken at the end of it!

“I didn’t quite realise what I had got myself into. I was thrown in the deep end. My parents were a big help but, being from Birmingham, they were back home. It was a case of trial and error.

“I went on almost on a trial with Brentford before they had to buy me off West Brom. It was the B team model that really intrigued me – they did not have an academy at the time.

“They really sold me the exposure of being able to play men’s football in things like the London Senior Cup – going away to the Atlantic Cup and playing teams like Brondby and Breidablik.

“It’s not to say that U23 football doesn’t work for players as well, I just thought the best pathway would be Brentford B.”

Gilbert won the Premier League Cup in 2023 with the Bees and collected their B team Player of the Year award in the same campaign.

“The first season I was there they were in the Championship and doing really well – I had big spells where I was on the bench a lot,” said Gilbert.

“But there were things going on with West Brom – tribunals and stuff – that was making it difficult to start making appearances.

“I got the cup exposure and I was training a lot with a very good team. They had the promotion and that usually means for young lads that it is going to get difficult, because they are probably going to start bringing people in. But I absolutely loved my time with them.

“I had a lot of training and exposure with Thomas Frank. I trained with people like Ivan Toney and Mathias Jensen – Christian Norgaard was always really good with me. I got a lot of experience. That B team was probably the best decision I made to jump my career to the next step.”

PICTURE: ALAMY