HENRY | "We can definitely climb the league"
Updated: Feb 10, 2022
Midfield technician Aaron Henry insists there is more to come from him after he marked his debut for the Stones with an assist in an impressive win over Yeovil Town.
The 18-year-old only trained twice with his new teammates, including once in an in-house game on Saturday, following his arrival on loan from Charlton on an initial one-month loan deal. But he settled into his new surroundings very quickly, spraying a lovely pass from left to right just 18 minutes into the game and then followed that up with an in-swinging corner that led to the goal for Nikola Tavares just before half-time. Henry celebrated with a passionate fist pump, showing he is really willing to roll his sleeves up during his loan spell and that he has perhaps already caught the Stones bug.
"I really enjoyed it," he said. "It was a big win and what I saw in training and in the game showed we can definitely climb up the league. I knew this league would be different physically and I got snapped right on the by-line near the end. It was a bit sore on my ankle, but I'm okay. I didn't feel out of place and I'm trying to get used to everything. I hope my performances get better and better."
Signing Henry was quite a coup for the club. He has already played five times for Charlton's first team, including once against West Brom in the FA Cup when he was barely out of school.
"I made my debut at 16 and that was amazing for me and my family, but I've struggled to kick on since then so I think a loan was perfect for me," he said. "I want to play at least seven out of ten every game, get on the ball, be the one that calms things down and keep ball for the team. I also hopefully want to get on the scoresheet. I back myself from set pieces so hopefully I can benefit the team. I'm looking forward to getting going."
The arrival of Henry is a further example of the young, hungry and dynamic player that manager Stuart Maynard and his assistant, Matt Saunders, have identified to continue the evolution of the team into a technical, high energy and pressing outfit.
"We need to bring bodies in," said Maynard. "We've got a really busy period coming up and we need a squad, we need everyone to help pick up points to stay in this division. I'm delighted to get Nathan [Ferguson]. We've monitored him for a while and it's great to attract someone like him. Aaron is technically a top, top player. They will take time and will need a while to bed in and get used to the lads. We've brought these players in not to replace anyone but to strength the squad and provide competition for places."