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Another Jamaican international has joined the ranks of English Football League (EFL) Championship club Charlton Athletic as they have completed the signing of defender Amari’i Bell on a two-year contract.
Bell joins the Addicks as a free agent following the end of his contract with his former club Luton Town, who had been relegated from the Championships to the EFL League One.
With his arrival, Bell is now the fourth Reggae Boy to ply his trade at the club, joining the likes of Kaheim Dixon, Karoy Anderson and Tyreece Campbell.
The defender is looking forward to the new challenge which allows him to reunite with manager Nathan Jones, who he had previously played under at Luton Town.
“It’s a fresh start for me and one that I’m looking forward to as Charlton are on the way back up,” Bell said in his first interview with the club.
“It’s another chance to work with Nathan who is a great manager that knows how to get the best out of his players, and he certainly does for me. It’s going to be a great time.”
Jones is excited with the signing having built a level of relationship with Bell at their time in Luton.
The manager believes Bell will be an important addition to the club, who had earned promotion to the Championship last season, as he brings experience in both the Championship and the Premier League.
“Amari’i’s someone I know well. I signed him at Luton and he did fantastically well for me. He knows how I want to play, he has Championship and Premier League experience, and he’s a wonderful athlete with pace and power,” Jones said.
“He will add to the group and we’re really delighted because left-sided centre-halves are very difficult to come by.”
Bell is no stranger to the Championship, having played for Birmingham City and Luton in the second tier.
He was also a key member in Luton’s promotion to the Premier League in 2023, but had missed out on much of their lone season in the top-flight due to a long-term injury.
Charlton will be looking to maintain their spot in the Championship, and have made several marquee signings to do so, including Thomas Kaminski, also from Luton Town, and Tanto Olaofe from Stockport County.
THE JAMAICAN CONNECTION
Bell’s signing marks a further connection between Jamaica and Charlton Athletic, as the English club had inked a partnership with Jamaica Premier League (JPL) club Mount Pleasant Football Academy last year.
Their ‘Mountain to Valley’ partnership is geared at providing a pathway for Caribbean players to make a move into the English football pyramid, with Mount Pleasant also benefiting from the expertise of Charlton’s academy.
The two teams were also further connected as in May, Mount Pleasant had appointed former Charlton Athletic CEO Charlie Methven as their new managing director.
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