It’s vital Charlton have Lee Bowyer leading them in to Championship according to Joe Aribo.

With his contract due to expire next month, and his stock high after sealing promotion with a 2-1 win over Sunderland at Wembley on Sunday, the midfielder, like many of the Addicks fans are under no illusions of the importance in retaining Bowyer's services.

“You can see what he does with us as a team,” the 22-year-old said.

“He is always pushing us and always expects the best from us - he never lets us slack or under-perform.

“When he has to he will give us a bollocking or let us know that we’re not doing what he wants us to be doing.

“But he is always so calm and collected going into games.

“I saw him growing up as a player and I saw how angry he was, but with us he is so calm.

“He is always the calmest in the team, you wouldn’t ever think that.

“Even today(Sunday) he said to us: ‘All we have to do is play our normal game and we’ll get the result we need’.”

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Aribo played the full 90 minutes on a memorable day at Wembley, in a performance that epitomised Charlton’s season.

Going behind to a freakish Naby Sarr own-goal in the fifth minute, to come back and seal promotion via a Ben Purrington equaliser and a Patrick Bauer promotion sealer.

“The togetherness of the team is amazing.

“We said that we can’t do anything worse, (than conceding), we were never going any lower after that.

“All I was thinking was ‘oh no, we’re going extra time - and we’re going to have to find an extra bit of energy to go the extra 30 minutes’.

“But we saw the ball go in and you saw from the reaction we felt.

“It felt amazing, words can’t express how it felt.

“We’re all buzzing and just happy we’re going up.”

Before they begin their life in the Championship, there will need to be discussions with multiple playing personnel as well as the manager with contracts expiring and players loan deals coming to an end.

Aribo, one of those players who will be having discussions this week, felt the side were capable of competing in the second tier providing they addressed the players departing.

“We can definitely push in the Championship.”

“I feel like we can. If we manage to bring in the same sort of players we did last season and the one just gone then I think we can.

“I know we’re good enough if we play our natural game.”

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