Chuks Aneke makes admission about his decision to swap Birmingham City for Charlton Athletic

Chuks Aneke has admitted that it was a tough decision to leave Birmingham City last week due to the club’s Championship status.

Aneke called time on his stint at St Andrew’s as he sealed a move back to his former club Charlton Athletic who currently reside in the third-tier of English football.

The forward made an immediate impact for the Addicks on Saturday as he helped them seal a point in their showdown with Cheltenham Town by scoring in the closing stages of this particular fixture.

After leaving Charlton upon the expiry of his contract last summer, Aneke would have been hoping to take his game to new heights during his time at Birmingham.

However, the 28-year-old failed to establish himself as a key member of the club’s squad as he was used predominantly as a substitute by Blues boss Lee Bowyer.

Having netted two goals in 18 appearances for Birmingham during the first half of the season, it will be intriguing to see whether Aneke ends up benefitting from sealing a move to a club in a lower division.

Making reference to his recent exit from Birmingham, Aneke has revealed that it was a tough choice to make whilst he has also praised Bowyer for handing him the opportunity to secure a return to Charlton.

Speaking to the South London Press, Aneke said: “[Returning to Charlton] was definitely a tough decision because I was in the Championship [with Birmingham], coming off the bench quite a bit.

“I’m grateful to Bows [Bowyer] for giving me the chance to go.

“Situations change in football all the time.

“I’ve found myself with an opportunity here.”

The Verdict

When you consider that Aneke was behind Troy Deeney, Scott Hogan and Lukas Jutkiewicz in the pecking order at Birmingham, it could be argued that he made the right choice to call time on his spell at the club earlier this month.

Whilst Aneke will now be aiming to make a positive impact for Charlton over the coming seasons, the Blues will be looking to call upon Onel Hernandez for inspiration in their upcoming fixtures.

Drafted in as a replacement for Aneke, Hernandez will be determined to deliver the goods on a consistent basis during his loan stint at St Andrew’s.

Having provided 21 direct goal contributions at this level in his career, the 28-year-old clearly knows exactly what it takes to compete in the Championship and thus it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he produces some eye-catching displays for the Blues.

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