Welcome Deji Oshilaja

Bermondsey born Deji (pronounced "Day G") Oshilaja became Charlton's fifth new player when he joined the club this week.

Previous signings Tom Lockyer, Chuks Aneke and Macauley Bonne have never played at Championship level before and Ben Purrington played just thirteen times for relegated Rotherham in in 2018. Oshilaja has two Championship appearances to his name for Sheffield Wednesday in 2014 while on loan from Cardiff City as an eighteen year old.

He had joined Cardiff aged sixteen in 2012 but was never to represent the club in a League match - spending most of the next five years on loan. He had eight games for Newport in League Two before  Sheffield Wednesday took him on  and gave him a start against Wigan in February 2014. He lined up alongside Miguel Llera and Jose Semedo in a 0-3 home defeat. Bizarrely, his other appearance the following month was also against Wigan in a 0-1 defeat at The DW Stadium when he was substituted in the 62nd minute.

He was more successful when on loan at League One level - firstly in 23 appearances for Wimbledon in 2015 and then in three separate loan spells at Gillingham (53 appearances) between 2015-17.

He left Cardiff and signed a two year contract with Wimbledon in June 2017 and made a further 67 appearances over the last two seasons, serving as captain last term.

Charlton Head of Recruitment Steve Gallen said: "We tried to get Deji in last year. He was one of two players that we actually made bids for last summer. ‘We tried to buy him from Wimbledon, they turned down our first, second and third offer, so he’s somebody that I’ve been well aware of for a little while now.

I watched him a lot in the last couple of years. He’s strong, dependable, quick, athletic, he’s got a very good attitude, he was a captain at Wimbledon and these are the things in particular that we like about him."

After Deji made his Charlton debut as a substitute against Colchester on Tuesday evening Lee Bowyer commented:

"I wanted to give Deji 30 minutes to give him a taste of it and I thought he did well when he came on. He looked very comfortable in possession. We know he can play, not only can he play but he’s a physical lad. Like I said yesterday I’m delighted to have him on board as part of the squad, because we want competition for places. The better the players we get coming through the door, the harder the lads will have to work to keep their place. If anyone comes off it then they don’t play and they all know that."