CALLUM Harriott is in red-hot form for Colchester United - and admits he had to get out of Charlton to get the game time he craved. If the 21-year-old winger moved to the U’s to put himself in the shop window then he has done exactly that with a dream start. Harriott scored his first goal for Colchester in their 2-1 win over Gillingham on Saturday. And he has seven assists in his first five matches. United had been without a win before his arrival and were 23rd - but his influence has helped to pull them up the table to 12th after two wins. He is yet to lose in the league - the sole reverse was to Northampton in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. The Lambeth-born attacker looked as if he could be set for a major breakthrough at Charlton when he scored a hat-trick in the final day win at Blackpool in the 2013-14 season - his brace in the previous match had secured a 3-1 victory over Watford that ended any fears of relegation. But since Jose Riga left, Harriott has failed to get major look-ins under both Bob Peeters and his successor Guy Luzon. Valley sources told the South London Press that Wigan bid for the South Londoner in the summer. It was rejected - with the Addicks expecting them to up their offer - but they never returned with improved terms. “I’ve been at Charlton since I was eight years old and I’ve come right through the academy,” said Harriott. “But I wasn’t really playing. I didn’t want to be on the bench or nor involved. I wanted to go out and prove myself and that’s what I did. I’m happy that I’m doing well. “It’s been a really good start. The boys have been really welcoming and the gaffer wants to play me. He has faith in me and I felt loved from when I first came here. Having new surroundings and proving yourself again makes you want to work 10 times harder. It’s a good club that I’m at. “I’ve always been hungry to play. I just needed a good run of games. I’m going to stay hungry and try to get more goals, assists and help the team to keep on winning.” Harriott is not the first to fall out of favour with Luzon. Andre Bikey was training with Charlton’s U21 squad before his contract was terminated by mutual consent. “I didn’t feel valued,” said Harriott. “At first I was going to go on a permanent move but that didn’t work out. Then there was the loan option.” Harriott will only have six months on his contract come January and if he continues his attacking exploits at Colchester then there is sure to be even greater interest in his services. “At the minute I’m just pleased to be playing and doing well - I can’t say if I will end up going back or won’t go back to Charlton,” he said. “My sole focus is on doing my best here until January. “Different managers have come and gone at Charlton and for whatever reason I wasn’t playing. I was working hard in training every day and not getting a chance. I just don’t think he [Luzon] saw me in his 11, nothing more was said on that. I tried to change his mind.” Harriott has never been a player to allow self-doubt to enter his game. He has spoken before of his goal to play in the Premier League. Even his Twitter profile - @cally_messi - combines his own nickname with Barcelona’s golden boy. “Every game I tell myself ‘I can, I can’,” he said. “You can’t hold back. I got frustrated when I wasn’t playing at Charlton but you can’t lose yourself. “You keep the faith inside so that when your time comes you’re ready. My time didn’t come at Charlton but it has been working out for me on loan. “There is not much difference between the standard of the Championship and League One. The intensity is the same, but the quality is not at the same level.” Harriott’s highlight of his stay in Colchester came last weekend as he scored his first goal for Colchester - ending a 10-month wait since he last notched, for the Addicks at Forest. Harriott said: “I spoke to Jordan [Cousins} the other day and he said ‘it is going well for you. I’m happy to see that, keep it going - you deserve to be playing and doing well’. “I keep an eye on the Charlton results. It hasn’t been going too well at the moment but I’m sure they will pick up in the league - they have got a good squad.”
Quality, hungry player, with real ability on the ball and never afraid to try things. Unfortunately for him most of our fans will class you as a show-pony after a few stepovers and a misplaced cross. Most likely for the rest of your career. He'll do well, but not at Charlton.
Quality, hungry player, with real ability on the ball and never afraid to try things. Unfortunately for him most of our fans will class you as a show-pony after a few stepovers and a misplaced cross. Most likely for the rest of your career. He'll do well, but not at Charlton.
Yeah. If he had stayed he'd just be another scapegoat. I see him going to way of Morrison and Wiggins unfortunately, unfancied, not treated particularly well and sold for peanuts.
Dear oh dear. A bit of pomp and a few decent performances in league one and apparently he is our saviour!
I'll judge on what I've seen on the pitch. For CAFC he has consistently flattered to deceive, has appeared to have no footballing brain and simply hasn't seemed up to it.
If he comes back and sets the world on fire great. I can't see it though.
Dear oh dear. A bit of pomp and a few decent performances in league one and apparently he is our saviour!
I'll judge on what I've seen on the pitch. For CAFC he has consistently flattered to deceive, has appeared to have no footballing brain and simply hasn't seemed up to it.
If he comes back and sets the world on fire great. I can't see it though.
Dear oh dear. A bit of pomp and a few decent performances in league one and apparently he is our saviour!
I'll judge on what I've seen on the pitch. For CAFC he has consistently flattered to deceive, has appeared to have no footballing brain and simply hasn't seemed up to it.
If he comes back and sets the world on fire great. I can't see it though.
This all day long, said it before but he's found his level - good luck to him
Or it could be that he's found his confidence and hence his form.
One easy way to find out if he can do what he's doing now for us in the Championship.
There is absolutely no harm in bringing him back and seeing what he can do for us in the last 6 months of his contract. He certainly can't do much worse than what we currently have.
If Callum had no history with us and we were thinking of getting him in on loan (after this recent spell of form) with a view to signing him at the end of the season plenty on here would be sucking Roland's left testicle whilst waxing lyrical about what a wonderful owner he is
I just said in another thread that maybe Harriott has found his level. In this division he couldn't find the consistent performances that we needed from him. Dropping down a division means he gets more time and space and is playing against lesser opponents week in week out. Of course it's also possible that our coaching team just don't know how to get the performances out of him, or he could just be another Lisbie - shit for us, great for everybody else.
Callum scored five goals in last two games of previous season. Not Championship potential, rubbish. Under Luzon. Why is he not in the side when the alternatives are Bergdich (apperently a lb) or Cousins a cm. Inconsistent yes but he is 21 ffs and not in the TW class of wasting his talent.
Callum scored five goals in last two games of previous season. Not Championship potential, rubbish. Under Luzon. Why is he not in the side when the alternatives are Bergdich (apperently a lb) or Cousins a cm. Inconsistent yes but he is 21 ffs and not in the TW class of wasting his talent.
I'm not averse to giving the lad another chance if he continues to impress for Colchester and ends up back with us, I'm sure all of us want nothing more than to see home grown talents doing the business in the first team.
Callum scored five goals in last two games of previous season. Not Championship potential, rubbish. Under Luzon. Why is he not in the side when the alternatives are Bergdich (apperently a lb) or Cousins a cm. Inconsistent yes but he is 21 ffs and not in the TW class of wasting his talent.
Luzon might think we have enough options there, as well as the players above we have McAleny, Moussa and Ceballos that could all play there.
He seems to be a player who thrives on confidence. Riga was able to instill that confidence and the result was spectacular. The Colchester manager has put faith in him and he is responding. Peeters and Luzon have put little or no faith in him.
Comments
If the 21-year-old winger moved to the U’s to put himself in the shop window then he has done exactly that with a dream start.
Harriott scored his first goal for Colchester in their 2-1 win over Gillingham on Saturday. And he has seven assists in his first five matches.
United had been without a win before his arrival and were 23rd - but his influence has helped to pull them up the table to 12th after two wins. He is yet to lose in the league - the sole reverse was to Northampton in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
The Lambeth-born attacker looked as if he could be set for a major breakthrough at Charlton when he scored a hat-trick in the final day win at Blackpool in the 2013-14 season - his brace in the previous match had secured a 3-1 victory over Watford that ended any fears of relegation.
But since Jose Riga left, Harriott has failed to get major look-ins under both Bob Peeters and his successor Guy Luzon.
Valley sources told the South London Press that Wigan bid for the South Londoner in the summer. It was rejected - with the Addicks expecting them to up their offer - but they never returned with improved terms.
“I’ve been at Charlton since I was eight years old and I’ve come right through the academy,” said Harriott. “But I wasn’t really playing. I didn’t want to be on the bench or nor involved. I wanted to go out and prove myself and that’s what I did. I’m happy that I’m doing well.
“It’s been a really good start. The boys have been really welcoming and the gaffer wants to play me. He has faith in me and I felt loved from when I first came here. Having new surroundings and proving yourself again makes you want to work 10 times harder. It’s a good club that I’m at.
“I’ve always been hungry to play. I just needed a good run of games. I’m going to stay hungry and try to get more goals, assists and help the team to keep on winning.”
Harriott is not the first to fall out of favour with Luzon. Andre Bikey was training with Charlton’s U21 squad before his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
“I didn’t feel valued,” said Harriott. “At first I was going to go on a permanent move but that didn’t work out. Then there was the loan option.”
Harriott will only have six months on his contract come January and if he continues his attacking exploits at Colchester then there is sure to be even greater interest in his services.
“At the minute I’m just pleased to be playing and doing well - I can’t say if I will end up going back or won’t go back to Charlton,” he said. “My sole focus is on doing my best here until January.
“Different managers have come and gone at Charlton and for whatever reason I wasn’t playing. I was working hard in training every day and not getting a chance. I just don’t think he [Luzon] saw me in his 11, nothing more was said on that. I tried to change his mind.”
Harriott has never been a player to allow self-doubt to enter his game. He has spoken before of his goal to play in the Premier League.
Even his Twitter profile - @cally_messi - combines his own nickname with Barcelona’s golden boy.
“Every game I tell myself ‘I can, I can’,” he said. “You can’t hold back. I got frustrated when I wasn’t playing at Charlton but you can’t lose yourself.
“You keep the faith inside so that when your time comes you’re ready. My time didn’t come at Charlton but it has been working out for me on loan.
“There is not much difference between the standard of the Championship and League One. The intensity is the same, but the quality is not at the same level.”
Harriott’s highlight of his stay in Colchester came last weekend as he scored his first goal for Colchester - ending a 10-month wait since he last notched, for the Addicks at Forest.
Harriott said: “I spoke to Jordan [Cousins} the other day and he said ‘it is going well for you. I’m happy to see that, keep it going - you deserve to be playing and doing well’.
“I keep an eye on the Charlton results. It hasn’t been going too well at the moment but I’m sure they will pick up in the league - they have got a good squad.”
WHOODAFUNKIT!
I'll judge on what I've seen on the pitch. For CAFC he has consistently flattered to deceive, has appeared to have no footballing brain and simply hasn't seemed up to it.
If he comes back and sets the world on fire great. I can't see it though.
bring him back. He's a hero. He's the answer to all our problemshopefully they will pay a fee for him!This is the case, imo
''Don't think many 'have it in for him' just that, on what we have seen, he isn't up to it in the Championship''
Just how many of these clowns in the 1st XI are up to Championship form?
Please give sensible answer!
Pope
20 Solly
05 Bauer
08 Cousins
07 Berg Gudmundsson
32 Watt
That's just my opinion.
Or it could be that he's found his confidence and hence his form.
One easy way to find out if he can do what he's doing now for us in the Championship.
There is absolutely no harm in bringing him back and seeing what he can do for us in the last 6 months of his contract. He certainly can't do much worse than what we currently have.