£125k hero: The Charlton Athletic transfer decision that paid off in big way | OneFootball

Charlton's decision to sign a winger from Northampton Town in the summer of 2016 turned out to be a good one.

Charlton Athletic signed winger Ricky Holmes from Northampton Town in the summer of 2016, and it proved to be an inspired piece of business for the Addicks.

It was a difficult year for Charlton, as they were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2015/16 campaign and finished in the bottom half of the League One table the following season, but Holmes gave the supporters some enjoyment during what was a tough period for the club.

Russell Slade, who was Charlton boss at the time, made it clear that Holmes was one of his top targets that summer, via an interview that was posted on the club website.

"I am delighted to be able to make Ricky my first signing for the club," Slade said.

"He was a top target for me and to be able to bring him to The Valley was very important for us.

"Ricky had a fantastic season last year at Northampton and is a player who is capable of not only scoring goals but creating them too.

"I have no doubts that the Charlton fans will take to his style of play."

Slade may not have been the most popular figure during his short tenure in SE7, but he was certainly right in predicting that Holmes would endear himself to the Valley faithful, as his work rate, ability to take players on, and end product made him one of the first names on the teamsheet during his time as an Addick.

Holmes was a fan favourite at Charlton

Holmes was a standout player during his time at The Valley, despite the fact Charlton finished 13th in League One during his only full season at the club.

Holmes spoke in an interview that was uploaded to Charlton's official YouTube channel following his arrival in 2016, and he was clearly excited to have been given the opportunity to show what he was capable of in SE7.

"Brilliant, I mean the club has got great history," Holmes said.

"As soon as I saw they were pursuing me, I showed a lot of interest and wanted to get it over the line.

"Thankfully it has happened, and I can't wait to get started."

There was good reason for Holmes to be optimistic about signing for Charlton, as he took League One by storm during his debut season in South East London.

The winger scored 13 goals and provided six assists over the course of the 2016/17 season, despite missing ten games due to a foot injury, with some memorable strikes along the way.

He had a varied goal catalogue, scoring directly from a corner against Shrewsbury Town at The Valley, curling home an excellent free-kick away at Sheffield United, and drilling a well-taken finish with his weaker left foot at home against Southend United, just to name a few examples.

The game that probably best summed up his Charlton career came in the reverse fixture at Shrewsbury Town, when he scored an outstanding hat-trick but still ended up on the losing side, as the hosts won the game 4-3.

Holmes enjoyed a great start to the 2017/18 League One campaign too, but with Charlton fighting for a play-off place midway through the season, he left the club to reunite with his old Northampton boss Chris Wilder at Sheffield United during the January transfer window.

Charlton got a decent fee for Holmes

Having impressed for the Addicks in League One, Holmes left for Bramall Lane in a deal worth around £400,000.

He never really made an impact in the Championship, making just five appearances in the second tier for the Blades.

Charlton received a decent fee for Holmes, and probably had him during the best years of his career.

One thing is for sure, the Addicks' decision to sign him from Northampton Town certainly paid off.