Youth academy manager Steve Gritt believes the club's current crop of youngsters are the most promising since the likes of Scott Parker emerged through the ranks.

The club's fund-raising branch, Charlton Club, made a £250,000 donation to the youth academy this week and Gritt believes the financial injection will help continue to aid the development of prospects such as Harry Arter, Grant Basey, Rob Elliott, Scott Wagstaff and Jonjo Shelvey.

Gritt told the club's official website: "Relegation from the Premier League obviously affected all departments at the club so any money that Charlton Club gives to the academy is vitally important in helping us to develop the young lads that we have into potential first-team players.

"Without a doubt the group of young players that are coming through at the moment are the most talented we have had since the days of Paul Konchesky, Scott Parker and Jonathan Fortune, so everyone at the academy is very excited."