Former Premier League mainstay and England international Lee Bowyer has been waxing lyrical over the talents of Josh Cullen after signing him for Charlton from West Ham on loan.
The 22-year-old midfielder made the short move across London this summer, swapping out being on the fringes of England’s top flight to being a key part of a League One side, having spent last season on loan with Championship outfit Bolton Wanderers.
Speaking about the young central star, Bowyer, who has 397 top flight appearances to his name, insisted he had everything in his locker and that the Hammers starlet was performing much better than he was at that age.
Speaking on Charlton’s official website, he said: “He’s better than I was [at that age]. He’s a good player.
“He was someone that we had to bide our time with. I know what qualities he brings to the squad.
“He’s got to the play-off final with Bradford, I know he’s got the experience and he’s a young lad that can play football and gets into the box. He’s an all-around midfielder.”
Opinion
High praise from someone who was touted as one of England’s top young talents when he was coming through as a promising talent. Bowyer knows all about living up to expectations and Cullen might not be doing what is expected of him at West Ham. His loan spell at Bolton hardly went to plan and now he has dropped down from the second tier into League One, which spells trouble for his future at the London Stadium. What he has to do is get his head down, work hard and prove himself at Charlton, and then he might be in with a shot at forging some sort of career with the Hammers. If not, then it is time to start looking for a new club, and if that is the case then he looks to have one admirer in the shape of Bowyer already. Whether the Addicks can afford him or not is another matter.