How Nathan Jones reacted to Thierry Small leaving Charlton Athletic for Preston North End | OneFootball

Thierry Small made the switch to Preston North End from Charlton Athletic this summer

Nathan Jones has given his reaction to Thierry Small’s departure from Charlton Athletic after making the switch to Preston North End.

The defender has departed the Addicks after helping them gain promotion to the Championship last season.

Small was a key part of the side, as they finished fourth in the table before going on to win the play-offs with a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient at Wembley Stadium.

The 20-year-old featured 39 times in the regular campaign, contributing two goals and three assists.

However, the expiration of his contract has led to him making the switch to Deepdale ahead of the new campaign.

Nathan Jones’ reaction to Thierry Small’s exit

Jones has given his reaction to Small’s departure, outlining that the club were keen to keep the player around beyond his current deal.

But the Charlton boss admitted that the defender could not be convinced to re-sign, instead wishing him all the best for the rest of his career.

"We wish Thierry all the best,” wrote Jones, via the club’s official website.

“We tried to keep him at the club and offered him a contract, which he turned down.

“He felt Preston was a better fit for him, so we thank him for his contribution and wish him well."

Small signed for Charlton in the 2024 January transfer window, arriving from Southampton on an initial deal that kept him there for just the end of that season.

But his impressive performances, which included a debut goal against Bolton Wanderers, led to the Addicks triggering an extension clause in his deal to keep him at the Valley until 2025.

Yet the London outfit were unable to tie him down to an even longer contract, leading to his exit following the end of this season.

Not even promotion to the Championship could convince him to stay, leading to a move to Paul Heckingbottom’s side.

Thierry Small’s first words as a Preston player

Small opened up on the decision to swap the Valley for Deepdale, suggesting it was a very difficult choice to make.

He cited discussions with Heckingbottom as a key factor in opting to move to the Lancashire outfit, as he looks to continue improving and developing his game.

“I’m over the moon,” said Small, via the club’s YouTube channel.

“It’s an exciting time, a big part of my career now, and I just can’t wait to get started.

“It was always a difficult decision to leave Charlton.

“But I just feel as though for me now in my career, in terms of development and in terms of taking my game to the next level, speaking with the manager here I feel like this was the next step for me to take.

“For me, it's just to keep on learning, keep on developing and I feel like Preston's the best club for me to do that whilst helping the team and hopefully achieving some success.”

Small will be looking to help Preston improve on their underwhelming 20th place finish in the Championship last season, with the team ending up just one point clear of the relegation zone.