Watford v Charlton

Nicky Bailey prepares to make his Charlton debut at Watford on Saturday spurred by the motivation of failure after being shown the door by Fulham early in his career.

The 24-year-old midfielder, who joined the Addicks from Southend on Tuesday in a deal worth £750,000, worked in a bookies in Putney High Street for three years following his release before breaking back, via non-league Sutton, into League football with Barnet and then Southend.

Voted Player-of-the-Year at both club Barnet and Southend, for whom he scored 12 goals last season, Bailey admits he is driven by a desire to succeed from his time away from the full-time game.

He recalled: "When I worked in the bookies I just wanted to get another chance to get back into full-time football. What I want to do is play at the highest level.

"Fulham were in the Premier League when I left and I want to get back to that level. I have the confidence to step up to the Championship, otherwise I wouldn’t have come to Charlton.

"I have a burning desire to do well after what happened to me at Fulham. Coming to a big club like Charlton is the move of my dreams."

Manager Alan Pardew added: "This season I want to see hunger from all my players. Nicky has that hunger after getting a second chance.

"One of the problems I had last season with this team was that when we came up against the likes of Crystal Palace, Stoke and Bristol City and West Bromwich Albion, we were fine.

"But we struggled against the so-called lesser sides which I put down to hunger, or a lack of it."

Pardew expects to have both central defenders, Jonathan Fortune and skipper Mark Hudson fit to face Watford.