The club's U18s enjoyed a successful pre-season training camp, made possible by funding from Valley Gold, before rounding off the week with a 2-1 victory over Manchester City's Under-18s.
The camp took place at Haileybury School in North London, over the course of five days, Monday to Friday.
The team enjoyed football training and work, alongside an array of social team building events, quiz evenings.
Senior Professional Development Phase Lead Coach Jason Pearce said: The trip was all about working the players hard. They are quite long days. It was very hot, it was a challenge, but they will feel better for it.
"We had a bit of downtime throughout the week, and that consisted of having one-to-one chats with myself as their coach and then Greg Miller the Academy Manager. We had chats with the boys about their targets and what their targets for the season. We all watched the World Cup which was nice to do together."
Pearce highlighted the importance of pre-season camps in bringing the squad together, explaining how they help build team cohesion.
"The times that we get to go away on a pre-season tour is a great opportunity for the boys to bond and for the coaches and staff to get to know them on a deeper level. How they work, their pros and cons, in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. To work a bit closer is a nice moment for us to get to know them and each other," he explained.
"On the Friday, we had a training session in the morning and then travelled to Manchester to play Man City. They had great facilities and really good players and the boys in the game."
"We won 2-1, it was a really good contest and quite competitive. Man City had a lot of the ball, but defensively out of position, the boys had to be very good which was good for them to learn. They had to be very good in themselves and as a group and they were and we limited them to very little chances. We had the better chances and we won the game, so I was really proud of the performance, after a really tough week for them."
Pearce found the time beneficial for him and the staff, as well as his team. "Greg [Miller] joined us not long ago as Academy Manager, and so it was good to get to know him away from the football. The trip was good and the boys all bonded as well."
Greg Miller added: "The week ended in a very postive performance and with a 2-1 win over Manchester City's U18s. It has been a fantastic event for 20+ players and staff."
Pearce expressed his gratitude to Valley Gold, for helping facilitate the trip. "I want to say a massive thank you to Valley Gold who provided us the services to go and enjoy a week on this trip and for our players to have this great experience. To get the time away and for the boys to have that opportunity is fantastic, so I want to say a massive thank you to Valley Gold to providing that for us. We are very very thankful."
See a gallery from the team's camp below...
Charlton fans can support the academy by signing up to the Valley Gold scheme. Valley Gold enables fans to support the club's academy in unearthing the talents of tomorrow, as well as giving them the chance to win cash prizes.
Click here for more information on how you can become a Valley Gold member.
