Charlton Athletic confirm Lee Bowyer is STAYING as manager after remarkable U-turn
The Addicks announced he was set to leave on Monday but less than 24 hours later he has agreed a deal to remain at the helm
Lee Bowyer has agreed a contract extension at Charlton Athletic - a day after Roland Duchatelet announced he was set for the exit.
Bowyer looked certain to leave the south London club on Monday when their Belgian owner Duchatelet released an extraordinary statement claiming he was not willing to meet the 42-year-old's demands or offer him anything more than a 12-month deal, despite leading the Addicks to promotion last season.
The announcement surprised the former Leeds and Newcastle midfielder, who has always wanted to stay at the club with whom he began his playing career, and he held further talks with Duchatelet on Monday night.
That ended with an agreement being reached, with Charlton announcing on Tuesday morning that Bowyer has put pen-to-pen paper on a new one-year deal.
“We went on a real journey last season," said Bowyer, who led the club to promotion from League One via the play-offs in his first season in charge,
"The club came together - the players, the staff, the fans and we achieved something special. The journey hasn’t finished yet and I’m delighted this has all been agreed.
“This has been a long process and I never wanted to leave, I love this club. I’d like to thank the owner for giving me the initial opportunity and now for continuing to believe in me.
“We have a fantastic fanbase here and my focus continues to be getting our squad in the best possible shape for the Championship next season.”
Charlton owner Duchatelet, who is deeply unpopular at The Valley and remains in talks to sell the club, added: “What Lee has achieved in his short time at the club is very impressive. He has united the club once again.
“I would like to thank Lee for his professionalism during this process. While the negotiations have been ongoing, he has continued to work on building a squad for the club’s Championship campaign. Stability is essential and I am very pleased we now have the best man in place to lead us forward next season.”