Ryan Charles

Ryan Charles

Personal information
Full name	Ryan Andrew Charles
Date of birth	30 September 1989 (1989-09-30)
Place of birth	Enfield, London, England
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Striker, winger
Club information
Current club	Newport County
Number	20
Youth career
1998–2007	Luton Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2007–2010	Luton Town	23	(3)
2006–2007	→ Hitchin Town (loan)	10	(3)
2007–2008	→ Hinckley United (loan)	1	(0)
2009	→ Kettering Town (loan)	9	(1)
2009	→ Kidderminster Harriers (loan)	3	(0)
2010–2011	Rushden & Diamonds	39	(7)
2011-	Cambridge United	19	(2)
2012	→ Newport County	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:00, 07 January 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Ryan Andrew Charles (born 30 September 1989 in Enfield, Greater London) is an English professional footballer, currently playing for Newport County on loan from Cambridge United.

Career

A striker who can also operate as a winger, Charles joined Luton Town as a 9-year-old, turning down rivals Watford in the process.

In his first year as an apprentice in 2006, Charles scored 17 goals for the youth team, earning him the top goal scorer acclaim. He was loaned to neighbouring Hitchin Town during the 2006–07 campaign, where he netted 3 goals in 10 appearances for the Canaries, including a 25-yard volley against Rugby Town.

In his second year as a scholar, Charles was sent out on loan to Conference North side Hinckley United in December 2007, where he made two appearances, one in the league, in a two month loan spell.

On 8 April 2008 Charles made his Luton Town debut as a substitute against Southend United. He went on to make 7 league appearances for Luton during the latter part of the season, operating in attack alongside Sam Parkin. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 victory against Oldham Athletic, after chesting the ball down, turning his marker and volleying home. This goal earned him the ‘Goal of the Season’ award as voted for by Hatters fans. Charles signed a professional contract at the end of the season, and was also awarded the ‘Young Player of the Season' trophy.

In the 2008–09 season, Charles made ten league appearances for Luton, scoring once. He also scored in the Football League Trophy Southern Area Final in a 4–3 penalty shoot-out victory against Brighton that saw Luton into the final at Wembley, which they went on to win. On 26 March 2009, Charles was sent on loan to Kettering Town, where he made nine appearances, scoring once.

On 26 November 2009, Charles joined Kidderminster Harriers, the team he had scored a late winner against as a Luton player in October, on a one-month loan as part of the deal taking Harriers striker Matthew Barnes-Homer to Luton. He played three games at Kidderminster, before returning to Luton. Charles did not play another game that season, and was released from the club on 31 May 2010.

Charles signed for Luton's Conference National rivals Rushden & Diamonds on 1 July 2010.

In June 2011 he joined Cambridge United. He was a free transfer due to Rushden and Diamonds' expulsion from the football conference. He signed a one-year contract with Cambridge United F.C. in the summer of 2011.

On 6 January 2012 Charles joined Newport County on loan until the end of the 2011-12 season. Charles made his debut for Newport versus Luton on 7 January but was sent off after 33 minutes for a two-footed challenge.

Honours

Luton Town

• Football League Trophy winner: 2008–09

Controversy

On November 16, 2011, Charles pleaded guilty to having been an accomplice in an Ebay scam. It was alleged that he assisted in using stolen credit-cards to buy hotel vouchers which were then sold on on the website.

External links

• Ryan Charles career stats at Soccerbase