West Ham United talent Josh Cullen has revealed that initially the Hammers wanted to keep hold of him this summer, but believes by the end of the transfer window a return to Charlton Athletic made perfect sense.
Cullen spent last season on loan at Charlton and played a key role in Lee Bowyer’s side earning promotion to the Championship from League One.
The 23-year-old returned to West Ham at the end of last season and was part of the club's pre-season preparations with a view to staying at the London Stadium for the new campaign.
The midfielder admits that West Ham were keen to keep him initially and another loan was not on the table, but towards the end of the window it was decided that he would be better served by moving away on another loan deal.
Cullen conceded that returning to Charlton was a no-brainer as he enjoyed playing for Bowyer last season.
The midfielder told The Athletic: “I was here on loan last season and then all through pre-season, it seemed like I wasn’t going to go out on loan again because West Ham wanted me to stay.
“But then, come the end of the window, we all decided it would be best if I went out to get some regular game time in the Championship.
“I just felt like, knowing the manager, knowing the way he wants his team to play and knowing how much I enjoyed playing under him last season, it would be the right decision to come back, and I’ve loved every minute since I’ve been back.”
Cullen has slotted back into life at Charlton seamlessly and is once again a regular under Bowyer, but is plying his trade a tier higher than last season, in the Championship.
