Shelvey to sign for Liverpool Jonjo is currently in Merseyside to agree personal terms and undergo a medical. The fee will be £1.7m with further potential payments depending on domestic and international appearances. (more)

Paul Elliot 63
Paul Walsh 98
Robert Lee 314
Lee Bowyer 57
Scott Parker 116
Paul Konchesky 104

Why do I give you those numbers. Well they were the starting appearances for each one of those young players before they left Charlton and moved on to better things. While Jonjo is in Liverpool about to sign for one of the world's biggest teams, it leaves us to wonder why Jonjo Shelvey has started only 40 games after breaking into the first team as a 16-year old.

It is also asks the question that with the play-off's beckoning why sell him now and not wait a few weeks? And I wonder how close the financial shit is to the fan?

It is a real shame to me that Charlton fans never got to enjoy the obvious talent Jonjo has, and honestly it is frustrating in the extreme that he has not been considered good enough to play in the first team for the majority of this season, but Liverpool see something that Phil Parkinson doesn't.

Having no reserve team has probably hindered Shelvey's progress, and as an aside one has to wonder how match fit players like Matt Spring are, but in recent months the first team has been crying out for some creativity, some goals and well, a hero.

Scott Parker, Robert Lee, Lee Bowyer, Paul Walsh, Paul Elliott even Konch all became heroes for Charlton during their formulative years but sadly Jonjo was never given that chance.

After such a wonderful start to the season Jonjo's intermittent appearances are even more surprising given that each one of the players listed above played for us whilst we were on an upward curve, some more curvier than others. but each played at a time when the club was at least moving forward and their respective managers would have had a better pool of players to pick from.

Jonjo mind, hit the first team at a time when we were going horribly backwards and if those that have followed his progress since he was a teenager are to be believed then the current management have not only stifled Jonjo but have also been responsible or partly responsible for taking the club downwards.

Shelvey did the club a huge favour in September by signing a one-year extension to the first ever professional contract he signed last February on his 17th birthday. His move to Liverpool returns the favour because like Paul Walsh, Paul Elliott and Robert Lee before him Jonjo's transfer fee is desperately needed to keep the club afloat.

Thank you Jonjo and good luck mate, but sadly due to the culpability of others, and one can include fellow midfielder Mark Kinsella in that, you sadly won't be remembered by us Addicks in the same vein as other youth team prodigies over the years.  ¶ 16:40