Carl Jenkinson earned a dream move to his boyhood heroes Arsenal and paid tribute to Charlton Athletic for the work they had put into him over the years.
The Finland Under-21 international made his debut for the Addicks the previous December and made a handful of first-team appearances – but that was enough for Gunners manager Arsene Wenger to add him to his squad.
"I hope supporters will understand why I can't turn down such an opportunity," said Jenkinson. "But Charlton will always have a special place in my heart and I will always be in their debt for the training they have given me since a young age.
"I'm grateful to the club’s academy and all the coaching staff, so I’m delighted the two clubs have come to an agreement," added the 19-year-old.
Charlton chief executive Stephen Kavanagh said: "This is a great move for Carl and it's difficult to stand in the way of a player when a club the size of Arsenal expresses interest, particularly if, like Carl, you come from an Arsenal-supporting family.
"His attitude has been exemplary and he made it clear from the start that he wanted the club that produced and nurtured him to benefit from the deal in the right way."
Jenkinson got a run in the Arsenal team at the start of his debut season – although he was sent off in the 8-2 defeat at Manchester United.
He stayed in the side until early November before a serious back injury disrupted the rest of his campaign.
Jenkinson regained his place at the start of 2012/13 and halfway through the season signed a new long-term contract with the club although he only featured sporadically after that.
He was involved more in the following campaign but with the arrivals of fellow right-backs Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers, Jenkinson spent the entire 2014/15 season on loan to London rivals West Ham United.
He excelled at the Boleyn Ground becoming first choice in his position and barely missing a match throughout the campaign.
I think it was the best 1.5m we have ever received because it funded what we needed to get out of the division at the time. That is why I think a deal for Gomes could achieve a similar objective, whether it is as much as we should have got or not - sometimes it is about timing.
Apparently signed on for another year on loan at the Hammers.
Can't figure out why this irks me as much as it does. Obviously it's WHU for starters that's a given to wind me up.
But regardless it doesn't seem right that an England international can't get a game at his own club and is instead farmed out to that lot for two years now, which is longer than many players stay at a club they're bought by. Smacks again of the bigger clubs stockpiling players in case one comes good, which in CJ case he has but still can't get a game at Arsenal.
Also makes me wonder if somewhere along the line we are going to get ripped off over any sell on percentage as he runs down his Arsenal contract playing on loan?
Apparently signed on for another year on loan at the Hammers.
Can't figure out why this irks me as much as it does. Obviously it's WHU for starters that's a given to wind me up.
But regardless it doesn't seem right that an England international can't get a game at his own club and is instead farmed out to that lot for two years now, which is longer than many players stay at a club they're bought by. Smacks again of the bigger clubs stockpiling players in case one comes good, which in CJ case he has but still can't get a game at Arsenal.
Also makes me wonder if somewhere along the line we are going to get ripped off over any sell on percentage as he runs down his Arsenal contract playing on loan?
Signed a new five-year deal at Arsenal before he was loaded so probably not much chance of him running his contract down. He isn't going to get ahead of Debauchy, Bellerin or Chambers at Arsenal so Imagine West Ham will sign him on a permanent deal in January or at the end of the season. Whether or not we'll get anything out of that I don't know.
The feeling amongst Arsenal fans is that Debuchy will rotate with Bellerin this year and then Jenks will replace him for next season. He's really popular amongst the support and he showed signs last year of smoothing off some of those edges. I think he'll make it with Arsenal.
I don't remember whether there was a sell on on fee in the deal but if there was, I wonder if Charlton are due any of the £2,000,000 loan fee.
Agree with BA about clubs stockpiling players and hoping for a return on their investment. Obviously Chelsea are the worst for this but Arsenal do it to. For instance, Joel Campbell signed a new deal last winter but clearly has no future at the Emirates. Id like to see something done but don't know what would work.
There is too much hoarding of players and loaning them out, should be limits put in place to restrict this. E.g. No club can loan out/in more than 5 players, no more than 2 to/from same club, 12 months maximum at any one club.
They have Debuchy, Bellerin and Chambers who can all play right back, so they don't 'need' Jenkinson at the moment, but he has value for the long term when Debuchy is too old, Chambers moves to centre back and Bellerin is sold to Man Citeh
Seems to becoming the template of so many talented young players, get scooped up and lured by the Pl teams, get to play in few league games, only early stages of cup games, and then get loaned out. I appreciate that going to a PL club is both financially attractive and what you want to do, play at the highest level, but that is the issue you seem to hardly play!. I think it also shows one of the disadvantage's of the selling younger player on, especially for clubs like CAFC. Do you get the sell on percentage. Look at Sterling £49 million quid, wonder what QPR get for that, it says £600,000 rising to £5 million on wicki, never sure about those figures. I appreciate it is hard to hold on to young players, but for every Sterling there are far to many who fall to the wayside. Surely there has to be a limit on club's loaning out players, especially to teams in the same league.
Seems to becoming the template of so many talented young players, get scooped up and lured by the Pl teams, get to play in few league games, only early stages of cup games, and then get loaned out. I appreciate that going to a PL club is both financially attractive and what you want to do, play at the highest level, but that is the issue you seem to hardly play!. I think it also shows one of the disadvantage's of the selling younger player on, especially for clubs like CAFC. Do you get the sell on percentage. Look at Sterling £49 million quid, wonder what QPR get for that, it says £600,000 rising to £5 million on wicki, never sure about those figures. I appreciate it is hard to hold on to young players, but for every Sterling there are far to many who fall to the wayside. Surely there has to be a limit on club's loaning out players, especially to teams in the same league.
QPR get 20% of the profit on the sale so 49m less 600k received at tribunal at 20% so around 9.6m
I am currently leafing through the Rothmans yearbook '87-'88 and have been surprised at the number of well known players who had what you might describe as a "long apprenticeship". Players that became more or less household names who had a hundred plus games under their belt before they landed at the club you most associate them with - some even two hundred plus. They were not snapped up by a big club after a dozen games and then stuck in the stiffs, or loaned out here there and everywhere for years.
The contrast with Jenkinson is marked. Take David Platt, who is far from one of the most extreme examples, at the end of the '86-'87 season (which the yearbook covers) he had played 108 games for Crewe and he turned 22 just after that season finished. He would play another 26 games before he left the Railwaymen for Villa. He went on to play 448 league games (this despite a four years in Italy where he wasn't always a first team regular). Jenkinson is 29 next month, and has played 129 league games. At the same stage Platt had played about 350 and had 54 Engand caps.
Of course Jenkinson probably earned as much a month (at Arsenal) as Platt was earning a year at Crewe at that stage in their career, and Carl may go on to be an ever present until he is 37 and end up surpassing Platt's number of league games, but you cannot help but wonder (bank balance aside) what Jenkinson will think when he looks back at his career, and what might have been?
Of course he could have been another Poyet -none of us has a crystal ball - and he is far from the only one in a similar position.
Comments
8 June 2011 – Arsenal sign Carl Jenkinson
Carl Jenkinson earned a dream move to his boyhood heroes Arsenal and paid tribute to Charlton Athletic for the work they had put into him over the years.
The Finland Under-21 international made his debut for the Addicks the previous December and made a handful of first-team appearances – but that was enough for Gunners manager Arsene Wenger to add him to his squad.
"I hope supporters will understand why I can't turn down such an opportunity," said Jenkinson. "But Charlton will always have a special place in my heart and I will always be in their debt for the training they have given me since a young age.
"I'm grateful to the club’s academy and all the coaching staff, so I’m delighted the two clubs have come to an agreement," added the 19-year-old.
Charlton chief executive Stephen Kavanagh said: "This is a great move for Carl and it's difficult to stand in the way of a player when a club the size of Arsenal expresses interest, particularly if, like Carl, you come from an Arsenal-supporting family.
"His attitude has been exemplary and he made it clear from the start that he wanted the club that produced and nurtured him to benefit from the deal in the right way."
Jenkinson got a run in the Arsenal team at the start of his debut season – although he was sent off in the 8-2 defeat at Manchester United.
He stayed in the side until early November before a serious back injury disrupted the rest of his campaign.
Jenkinson regained his place at the start of 2012/13 and halfway through the season signed a new long-term contract with the club although he only featured sporadically after that.
He was involved more in the following campaign but with the arrivals of fellow right-backs Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers, Jenkinson spent the entire 2014/15 season on loan to London rivals West Ham United.
He excelled at the Boleyn Ground becoming first choice in his position and barely missing a match throughout the campaign.
Can't figure out why this irks me as much as it does. Obviously it's WHU for starters that's a given to wind me up.
But regardless it doesn't seem right that an England international can't get a game at his own club and is instead farmed out to that lot for two years now, which is longer than many players stay at a club they're bought by. Smacks again of the bigger clubs stockpiling players in case one comes good, which in CJ case he has but still can't get a game at Arsenal.
Also makes me wonder if somewhere along the line we are going to get ripped off over any sell on percentage as he runs down his Arsenal contract playing on loan?
I don't remember whether there was a sell on on fee in the deal but if there was, I wonder if Charlton are due any of the £2,000,000 loan fee.
Agree with BA about clubs stockpiling players and hoping for a return on their investment. Obviously Chelsea are the worst for this but Arsenal do it to. For instance, Joel Campbell signed a new deal last winter but clearly has no future at the Emirates. Id like to see something done but don't know what would work.
E.g. No club can loan out/in more than 5 players, no more than 2 to/from same club, 12 months maximum at any one club.
#MadeInCharlton
The contrast with Jenkinson is marked. Take David Platt, who is far from one of the most extreme examples, at the end of the '86-'87 season (which the yearbook covers) he had played 108 games for Crewe and he turned 22 just after that season finished. He would play another 26 games before he left the Railwaymen for Villa. He went on to play 448 league games (this despite a four years in Italy where he wasn't always a first team regular). Jenkinson is 29 next month, and has played 129 league games. At the same stage Platt had played about 350 and had 54 Engand caps.
Of course Jenkinson probably earned as much a month (at Arsenal) as Platt was earning a year at Crewe at that stage in their career, and Carl may go on to be an ever present until he is 37 and end up surpassing Platt's number of league games, but you cannot help but wonder (bank balance aside) what Jenkinson will think when he looks back at his career, and what might have been?
Of course he could have been another Poyet -none of us has a crystal ball - and he is far from the only one in a similar position.