Championship club lets go of captain just a week after his last game, right after the transfer deadline.
Charlton Athletic, who play in the Championship, have decided to let go of their club captain Greg Docherty, even though he played just a week ago.
The Addicks are in their second season back in the Championship after winning the League One play-offs in 2025. Last season, they finished 19th. Their manager, Nathan Jones, is known for helping Luton Town climb the leagues before moving to Southampton in the 2022/23 season.
Charlton have had a great start this season, winning their first three Championship games. Their latest win was a 1-0 victory against Preston North End on Saturday, thanks to a goal from Karlan Grant, who recently returned to the team.
This summer, Charlton brought in 10 new players, including winger Millenic Alli from Luton, former Liverpool defender Billy Koumetio from Dundee, and Nathaniel Chalobah, who joined on a free transfer after playing for Watford and Chelsea. They also signed Kenya midfielder Timothy Ouma on loan from Slavia Prague and got Oliver Skipp on loan from Leicester City at the last moment.
With all these new signings, club captain Docherty, who joined Charlton from Hull City in 2024 and played 39 games last season, saw less game time this year. Although he played the full match in their 5-1 loss to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, he didn’t feature in other recent games.
Now, Charlton and Docherty have agreed to end his contract, allowing him to find a new club even though the summer transfer deadline has passed.
Manager Nathan Jones praised Docherty, calling him a true leader and professional. He said, “We want to grow and improve, and unfortunately, Doc wasn’t going to get as much playing time as he wanted. We talked openly and agreed this was best.”
Jones added, “Doc has been an amazing captain and a pleasure to work with. We’re very grateful and will miss him a lot. I’ll never forget the great moments he gave us, including one of my best days at Wembley. He’s always welcome back here.”
Docherty shared his own thoughts: “Being captain of such a famous club was a huge honor. I always gave my best to represent Charlton with respect, through good times and bad. I’m grateful for my time here but excited about what’s next in my career.”
Charlton are currently in second place in the Championship and will play West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Wednesday night.