Lyle Taylor believes the promotion-chasing Charlton team he’s part of is “streets ahead” of the AFC Wimbledon side he won promotion with back in 2016.
While the Addicks’ top scorer has fond memories of his time at the Dons, Taylor insists Charlton has a “togetherness” which rivals what his old club had during that year.
The 29-year-old scored an extra-time winner against Accrington Stanley to send Wimbledon into the playoff final against Plymouth Argyle at Wembley Stadium.
And it was goals from both him and former teammate Adebayo Akinfenwa which got them up into League One, where they have remained ever since.
After Charlton’s 4-0 win against Rochdale, he said: “I just had a conversation with Joe Aribo and he said to me, 'This group is unbelievable', and I said to him, 'You need to savour this because you might never feel like this again in football'.
“I was lucky enough to have a good team when I was at Wimbledon, when we got promoted, but this team is streets ahead of that.
“These boys can fight, these boys have got a togetherness that is as good - if not better - than that Wimbledon team had, and these boys can play football.
“Seriously, these boys can play.
“I said to him that you might never, ever feel this way about a team you play in again. I said to him you need to relish this, and treasure it, and enjoy it, while you're here.”
Taylor, who was Wimbledon’s leading scorer that season with 23 goals in all competitions, has eclipsed that with 24 for his new club in fewer matches.
And following a thumping Rochdale victory on the final day of the League One regular season he was named Charlton’s player of the year at their inaugural awards ceremony.
Meanwhile, Wimbledon pulled off what many thought they couldn’t achieve by surviving relegation on the final day of their gruelling campaign.
A goalless draw away to Bradford City guaranteed them another season in League One as they lost just one of their final 12 games, having previously been 10 points adrift from safety.
“Fair play to them,” Taylor added. “They've stuck at it and they grafted, and they've grafted, and it's a real credit to the boys that they've managed to stay up.
“I don't know if they'll read it, the fans or the players, but I'd like to extend my best wishes to them and say well done because what they achieved was nigh-on impossible four months, five months ago.”
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