Three reasons Ben Reeves is an excellent addition for Charlton Athletic

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Charlton Athletic have completed the signing of Ben Reeves from MK Dons on a two-year deal after months of discussions, the club’s official website announced.

The Addicks have invested a significant amount of time trying to bring the talented midfielder to The Valley. Talks between the club and player started back in May but at that time Reeves wanted to consider his options.

Despite interest from many clubs, the highly sought-after midfielder finally decided to reunite with Karl Robinson.

The two spent three seasons together at MK Dons, which included a promotion to the Championship from League One. It also included the campaign which saw Reeves win MK Dons’ Player of the Season.

Charlton’s capture of Reeves shows real intent and should excite fans. The creative midfielder has proven himself in League One and was key to his former side’s success.

Now in East London, what can Reeves bring to The Valley to help them mount a serious challenge?

Goals

Charlton’s bottom-half finish last season didn’t accurately reflect their performances.

The Addicks didn’t concede goals on a regular basis like the teams that finished around them. Even third-place Scunthorpe shipped more goals than Charlton did.

Instead, what Charlton lacked was goals. The Addicks may have conceded less than the Irons last season, but they scored 20 fewer.

This time round, they will need to be more clinical in front of goal and Reeves will contribute his fair share. The 25-year old scored seven goals and assisted a further six last term.

In fact, during his time at MK Dons, Reeves has either scored or assisted 56 goals in 135 games – a ratio some strikers would be proud of.

Discipline

The Northern Ireland international has played in all of England’s top four divisions during his seven-year career. In that time, he has never been shown a red card, not in a single league or cup game.

That’s not to say the midfielder shies away from a tackle. Reeves has picked up a number of yellow cards during his career but he has never fallen foul of repeating his mistake.

No team can afford to go down to ten men, especially one looking to challenge for promotion. Reeves’ disciplinary record suggests he won’t make the mistake of seeing red. Now it is down to his new teammates to do the same.

Versatility

It is no secret that Reeves is most comfortable and influential going forward. However, during his career he  has played every midfield role imaginable, as well as cameos up front and at left-back.

Last season alone he played as an attacking, central, left-sided and right-sided midfielder as well as a right-winger and centre forward. Robinson will be as aware as anyone of Reeves’ versatility, due to their time together at MK Dons.

The scale of Reeves’ versatility makes him a more valuable member of the squad than most. He played in seven different positions under Robinson at MK Dons and will likely be utilised in numerous roles for Charlton this season.