Nathan Jones has hailed Charlton Athletic’s return to the Championship as the pinnacle of his career - and suggested he won’t be going to Cardiff City.
The Welsh manager described his club’s promotion from League One as a moment of “euphoria, pride and relief”.
It’s a success that is likely to end any hopes Cardiff had of making Jones their next manager as they prepare for League One football themselves this summer.
In front of more than 76,000 at Wembley, Charlton clinched a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Leyton Orient, with Macaulay Gillesphey’s first-half free-kick enough to seal the play-off Final win and end the club’s five-year stay in English football’s third tier.
Jones, visibly emotional after the final whistle, called it "categorically the biggest" moment of his managerial and playing days.
“Masses of relief, a lot of euphoria and even more pride,” he said.
“I am just so proud of the whole football club, everyone. Our fans, especially the 44,000 turning up today.”
The 51-year-old, who took over at The Valley just 15 months ago with the club near the foot of the table, has guided Charlton to a remarkable turnaround.
It is the Rhondda native’s third promotion as a manager, following two with Luton Town, and a strong response to critics who questioned his credentials after short-lived stints at Stoke and Southampton.
“A young Welshman maybe wasn't big enough for Southampton but I'm big enough for Charlton,” he reflected.
“I didn't drop to League One to be a League One manager, I went to League One to manage Charlton.”
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Jones’ commitment to Charlton’s long-term vision was also evident as he credited the club’s transformation not just to results on the pitch, but to structural change.
“The owners bought a shell of a club – now it’s something totally different.”
Speculation had been mounting over a potential return to his boyhood club Cardiff, who are currently seeking a new manager.
But with Jones now a Championship manager once again – on a strong contract with momentum behind him – the Bluebirds may find it difficult to lure him away.
“I came here to build something, a gamble, dropping a division – two divisions, actually, because my last job was in the Premier League – and I knew we could build something.
It's the first step – now we kick on.”
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While the final itself may not have been a spectacle, Jones stressed that the manner of victory was testament to his team’s spirit and defensive discipline.
“It wasn't spectacular, it wasn't vintage but I don't really care,” he admitted.
“We didn't play well today, we just defended really, really well, the principles we instilled.
“You've seen the headers we've won, they've hardly had a chance on goal and that's just down to our defence.”
With the party just beginning, Jones was already turning his attention to the challenges ahead in the Championship.
“Now we have to add more quality, we must continue to move forward because now we enter a different environment.
“We have only won the League One play-off final, we have not won the Champions League, but we are in a good place. It is a wonderful day. We are going to celebrate it. It is a great club, I always knew it was.”
“This is the best day of my football life. We will start the party now, have a couple of days, but we have to start the work again, because we are three weeks behind everyone else now.
“We have to start planning because now we have gone up a level, so now everything has to go up a level.”
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