Jayden Stockley has revealed that Patrick Bauer helped with the sales pitch when it came to him joining Charlton on loan.
The Preston North End striker has made an immediate impact in SE7.
And Stockley snubbed interest from Sunderland and Bristol Rovers to make a temporary move to the Addicks at the end of last month.
Bauer capped off four years with the South London club by scoring their winning goal in the 2019 League One play-off final. He signed for North End that summer after his Charlton contract came to an end.
Stockley said: “Honestly, he [Bauer] could not speak highly enough of the club. He was asking me every day when I was linked with it. Sometimes talks stall a little bit and he was just pushing me on.
“He was a great advocate for the club. It was nothing but positive from Pat.”
The well-travelled striker also knows Charlton club captain Jason Pearce. Stockley was a teenager coming through the ranks at AFC Bournemouth – handed his debut at the age of 16 by Eddie Howe – when Pearce was captaining the Cherries.
“He [Pearce] was amazing because just as a young lad, coming into that environment, it’s so different. It was how accepting he was of me as a lad. I used to watch him from the stands as a youngster and he never left anything out on the pitch in terms of his commitment to the cause. It was just how nice he was as well, off the pitch.
“He was just a proper captain and someone I admired looking from afar at his career. I’m not surprised at the career he has had.”
Stockley made 20 appearances for Bournemouth but was loaned out numerous times as the South Coast outfit climbed up the English football pyramid.
“It was a whirlwind there,” he said. “Eddie was someone I will always respect, just for how hard he works – even when the club were in League Two at the time. I’m sure things just went up and up from there.
“His constant love of the game, his man-management skills and the work he puts in on the training pitch makes every single player better. He took a lot of players right through to the Premier League and he improved them along the way.
“It was fascinating to watch some of my mates make that journey up to the Premier League. A lot is down to Eddie’s coaching. I’m talking about Simon Francis and Steve Cook, who is one of my big buddies. And Harry Arter as well, who is an ex-Charlton lad like Simon.”
See tomorrow’s South London Press for the full interview with Stockley.
PHOTO: PAUL EDWARDS
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