Charlton's fourth signing of the transfer window is combative 26 year old midfielder Conor McGrandles who has signed a three year deal following the expiry of his contract at Lincoln City. It is a long time since we had three Scots in contention for selection for the starting line-up.
He started out at home town club Falkirk for whom he made 70 appearances between 2012 - 2014. He then moved to Norwich but only made one appearance for the club before joining Milton Keynes in 2017. He signed for Lincoln two years ago and played 78 times for The Imps, often wearing the captain's armband.
McGrandles commented on his decision to join The Addicks: “The manager has told me about his style of play, the way he wants to go about things and it suits me down to the ground. I want to be in a team that moves the ball and attacks, and ultimately enjoys playing football. I have personally had a few good seasons; I think this is the right club for me to kick on and push myself to that next level. Hopefully, I can bring a bit of leadership and quality which will be good for everyone.”
Ben Garner was pleased to add to his midfield. He said: "Conor is a really talented player who has proven himself to be one of the best midfield players in League One in recent seasons. He is a very consistent performer with great intelligence and adds even more quality and versatility to our midfield options. Conor also has the potential to get even better and we welcome him to Charlton Athletic."
We are grateful to London News Online for this revealing interview with Lincoln fan Ben Ward of The Stacey West Podcast.
"He’s got a ton of fight and spirit about him, and he’s an asset to any League One side, for sure."
"He’s a battling centre-mid. He may look a bit on the scrawny side, but he’s got a temper on him! When he keeps a lid on it, it’s a great attribute. Gets stuck in, isn’t afraid of a tackle, and he sticks up for his team-mates if it turns ugly."