It’s Tuesday 13th October 2020. Ryan Inniss arrives at Charlton Athletic’s New Eltham training ground smiling ear-to-ear as he readies himself to sign a two-year deal with his boyhood club, all while giving his best rendition of Valley Floyd Road.
The South-London born defender became the ninth Addicks signing of the transfer window when he arrived as a free agent from Crystal Palace, and the sixth of the Thomas Sandgaard era after the Danish-American businessman completed his takeover of the club on 25th September.
Charlton’s Director of Football Steve Gallen revealed the signing of the central defender was the easiest of the 12, such was Inniss’ desire to swap SE25 for SE7 when the opportunity arose. After all, the 25-year-old knows and appreciates The Covered End more than most, having experienced it first hand as a boy growing up supporting the Addicks.
Long Road Back To Charlton
The signing may have been straightforward, though the same cannot be said for Inniss’ career to date which has been turbulent, to say the least.
The Crystal Palace academy graduate has endured an injury-stricken career thus far, with four shoulder surgeries (two on each side) and ankle surgery amidst other injuries, including a grade three hamstring tear, which has certainly tested him both mentally and physically.
Rob Page, the centre-back’s former manager at Port Vale during his loan spells in 2015 and 2016, described him as “the unluckiest player” he has ever met with injuries.
Inniss’ troubles though, have stretched beyond the pitch.
The 25-year-old has three police cautions among other off-field problems, with the most severe of those coming on 9 September 2016 when he was initially jailed for 14 weeks after attacking a man with a bottle at a nightclub near his Beckenham address four months earlier.
Inniss appealed his sentence successfully three days later, though he was ordered to undergo 240 hours of community service and pay £300 to his victim in compensation, while also completing a 20-day alcohol rehabilitation course.
So, 10 loan spells, 113 senior appearances, and countless gruelling rehabilitations later, here is Inniss with a new lease of life as he looks to leave his previous problems, both on and off the pitch, behind.
Impressive Start To Life Under Lee Bowyer
Inniss, who joined the Eagles in 2010 as a 14-year-old, boasts a wealth of experience in the Football League and has made an impressive start to life at Charlton after making the short trip across South London.
Standing at 6ft 5ins, Inniss is a giant in every sense of the word. He is a towering, aggressive centre-half with a clear ability and willingness to throw himself about to head the ball and command those around him. And it’s these attributes which have endeared him to the fans so early on in his Addicks career.
The centre-half has already established himself as a colossal figure at the heart of the Addicks defence alongside Akin Famewo.
The duo have formed a formidable partnership since Inniss joined Famewo in SE7, culminating with four defensive shutouts and four victories in as many games, before the former’s quad injury and the latter’s hamstring problem.
The former Crystal Palace man’s performances during the wins on the road against Blackpool and Northampton Town earned him a place in the Sky Bet League One Team of the Week for consecutive game weeks, with the team selection powered by ratings generated by WhoScored.
Inniss, who has amassed 13 appearances for England at youth level across the U16 and U17 age groups, was on the receiving end of a ‘soft’ dismissal, as Lee Bowyer put it, during the side’s 2-0 win against Oxford United. He picked up two yellow cards within the space of five minutes and was sent off by Craig Hicks just after the hour mark, though his manager bemoaned the decision: “It’s maybe a ticking off at worst. It’s never a yellow card.”
The sending off meant Inniss was unavailable for the Addicks’ 2-0 victory against promotion rivals Portsmouth on the south coast, with the experienced Chris Gunter slotting in at centre-back before Inniss returned for the 3-2 victory against Fleetwood Town at The Valley to continue his 100% record in League One with Charlton.
The defender then played 90 minutes in the FA Cup during the Addicks’ first round defeat to Plymouth Argyle alongside 17-year-old Charlie Barker, before sustaining a quad injury during training at Sparrows Lane.
Struggles Without Inniss
Inniss’ presence has certainly been missed in the league thereafter, as has his defensive partner Famewo’s.
Bowyer’s men have picked up just four points from a possible 12, with a 1-1 draw at Gillingham and losses against Burton Albion and MK Dons coming either side of the Addicks’ impressive victory against promotion candidates Ipswich Town.
The experienced duo of Darren Pratley and Gunter have deputised in the centre of the Addicks’ defence, though Addicks fans will certainly be hoping to see the imposing partnership of Inniss and Famewo again very soon.
The Norwich City loanee’s return for the closing 25 minutes of the 1-0 defeat against the Dons on Tuesday came as a huge boost to the Addicks, who are still without senior centre-backs Inniss and Deji Oshilaja, as well as Jason Pearce who isn’t quite ready to start.
Bowyer has refused to be drawn on a timeframe for Inniss’ return, but the boss did concede, however, that ‘it’s not the best’. Charlton are still waiting for Pearce’s first league start of the season as the club captain continues to gain match fitness, while Oshilaja’s comeback was delayed after he came into close contact with Dylan Levitt who returned a positive coronavirus test.
“Charlton Athletic” by Ewan-M is licensed under CC BY-SA
