There's no looking back for Jones as he bids to take Charlton forward

NATHAN JONES has had a year out of football to reflect on his 95-day spell at Southampton, but the new Charlton manager has no interest in raking over old bones.

- Dan Kilpatrick

Asked at his Addicks unveiling yesterday what he had learned at Saints, Jones answered in a single word: "Plenty." 

The Premier League must have been a bruising experience for Jones, but the former Luton boss has lost none of the bullish self-confidence which seemed to rub Southampton supporters up the wrong way amid nine defeats from his 14 games in charge.

"I went from League Two to the Premier League, and I was very proud of that. Not many people do that," Jones said at Charlton's Sparrows Lane training ground.

"Not many people get brought from a Championship club to the Premier League. You [usually] have to either take a club up or come from a different league.

"It's not about proving people wrong, it's about winning games for Charlton and being successful here.

"[Southampton] was a learning curve.

I worked so hard to get to the Premier League, it didn't work out for whatever reason. No problem, no malice, no bitterness.

"You just park it, take your lessons and implement them in your next role.

That's all you can do."