Striker once released by Blackpool attracting interest from Wrexham and Derby County - reports
A former Blackpool youngster is reportedly attracting interest from several clubs - including one in the Championship.
Dion Charles has become a firm figure in League One across recent years, scoring 75 times in 208 appearances for both Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers, including seven goals so far this season for the latter.
Since the start of the transfer window, there have been question marks over the future of the 29-year-old at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Football League World claim both Derby County and Wrexham are weighing up moves for the Northern Ireland international.
Discussing the speculation around Charles, Trotters boss Ian Evatt told The Bolton News last week: “Dion is our player, part of our team and part of our squad. I don’t see that changing. Every player has a value, and if someone meets it then we’ll always take it seriously, no matter who they are.
“But for me Dion needs to focus on getting back to the levels he was at 12 months ago. I don’t think we have seen the best of him for a few months now.
“We have seen it in flashes and glimpses but not consistently, and we want him to get back there because we know what he can do, he’s a fantastic player who has scored a lot of goals for us and a lot of goals at this level.”
Charles’ journey following Blackpool release
Charles took a lengthy route to get his opportunity as a regular starter in the EFL. As a youngster, the forward progressed through the Blackpool ranks, and was named as an unused substitute by Paul Ince in a 1-0 victory over Barnsley at the start of the 2013/14 campaign.
At the conclusion of that season, he was released by the Seasiders, without having a senior appearance under his belt.
In an interview with the Manchester Evening News back in 2022, he reflected on the experience, stating: “The hardest one was the first at 18-years-old, it was like welcome to the big bad world. You’re in a cloud when you’re a kid.
"You don’t realise what’s waiting for you outside of football so it was a harsh wakeup call for me and then I realised that I had to work hard to get to where I wanted to be so that was the most difficult part for me when I was 18.”
Following his Bloomfield Road exit, Charles had a stint with AFC Fylde, where he scored 18 times in 56 outings.
On the back of this, he joined Fleetwood Town, but was unable to pick up regular game time, and was loaned out to Halifax Town before eventually making a permanent move to Southport.
The striker’s time at Haig Avenue included a hat-trick in a Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy final victory over Colne - which took place at the home of Bolton Wanderers.
This form saw him make the step up to League One, which is where he has been since.