Birmingham City's Alfie May sends heartfelt message to Charlton Athletic supporters after League One promotion | OneFootball

Birmingham City striker Alfie May sent a heartfelt message to his former club Charlton Athletic following their League One play-off final victory

Birmingham City striker Alfie May sent a heartfelt message to his former club Charlton Athletic following their League One play-off final victory over Leyton Orient at Wembley.

In a bid to move back closer to his family in Yorkshire, May exited Charlton last summer, with a move to Birmingham favoured over Huddersfield Town - either of which would have meant the forward would come up against his former club twice in 2024-25.

The 31-year-old left The Valley just ten months ago, and took to social media to congratulate the Addicks on their return to the second-tier.

Alfie May's touching tribute to Charlton Athletic after Championship return is confirmed

Following Charlton's 1-0 win over Leyton Orient that secured their promotion to the Championship, May posted a touching message on X that showed the affection he still has for his former club.

"Congratulations to everyone involved, the fans deserve this more than anyone," the Birmingham City striker wrote - also including the use of a red heart and kissing emoji - showcasing the emotion he still feels for the club where he enjoyed his most successful individual season.

The message came after Macaulay Gillesphey's 31st-minute free-kick proved to be the decisive moment in a somewhat tightly contested final.

The defender's curled effort from 20 yards found its way past Orient goalkeeper Josh Keeley, sending the near 40,000 Addicks into raptures - securing the club's return to the Championship after a five-year absence.

Alfie May's sublime season at Charlton Athletic means he's always going to be welcomed back to The Valley

May's emotional response to Charlton's success comes as little surprise given the impact he made during his single season at The Valley.

After joining from Cheltenham Town in 2023 for a reported £250,000, he netted 23 league goals to claim the League One Golden Boot, whilst also being named PFA League One Player of the Year.

May set his sights on matching then-Premier League Golden Boot winner, Erling Haaland's goal tally, telling Sky Sports that he wanted to outscore the Manchester City striker.

May told Sky Sports, "I saw I'm one league goal behind Erling Haaland in 2023 and so I want to beat him!"

True to his word - May managed to overtake Haaland's league goal tally in December - albeit a few leagues apart it did demonstrate the consistency May was in at Charlton.

The timing of May's congratulatory message underlines his character that made him so popular at The Valley, regardless of time spent - his acknolwedgment that "the fans deserve this more than anyone" shows he still maintains an emotional connection with Addicks' fans.

As Charlton can now prepare for life back in the Championship, they can feel proud in knowing that even short-stint former players like May are still rooting for their success.