Ryan Charles

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ryan Charles

| image = Ryan Charles 04-09-2010 1.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Charles playing for Rushden & Diamonds in 2010

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|09|30|df=y}}

| birth_place = Enfield, London, England

| height =

| position = Striker, winger

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = 1998–2007

| youthclubs1 = Luton Town

| years1 = 2007–2010

| clubs1 = Luton Town

| caps1 = 23

| goals1 = 4

| years2 = 2006–2007

| clubs2 = → Hitchin Town (loan)

| caps2 = 10

| goals2 = 3

| years3 = 2007–2008

| clubs3 = → Hinckley United (loan)

| caps3 = 1

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2009

| clubs4 = → Kettering Town (loan)

| caps4 = 9

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2009

| clubs5 = → Kidderminster Harriers (loan)

| caps5 = 3

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2010–2011

| clubs6 = Rushden & Diamonds

| caps6 = 39

| goals6 = 11

| years7 = 2011–2012

| clubs7 = Cambridge United

| caps7 = 19

| goals7 = 3

| years8 = 2012

| clubs8 = → Newport County (loan)

| caps8 = 14

| goals8 = 2

| years9 = 2012–13

| clubs9 = Newport County

| caps9 = 9

| goals9 = 1

| years10 = 2013

| clubs10 = Hemel Hempstead Town

| caps10 = 11

| goals10 = 6

| years11 = 2013

| years12 = 2013–2014

| years13 = 2014

| clubs11 = → Bath City (loan)

| clubs12 = Merthyr Town

| clubs13 = Chesham United

| caps11 = 7

| goals11 = 0

| caps12 = 9

| goals12 = 1

| caps13 = 2

| goals13 = 2

| nationalyears1 = 2024–

| nationalteam1 = Saint Lucia

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| totalcaps = 156 | totalgoals = 34

}}

Ryan Charles (born 30 September 1989) is a professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in England, he plays for the Saint Lucia national team.

Career

Born in Enfield, Greater London, Charles joined Luton Town as a 9-year-old, turning down rivals Watford in the process.{{cite news|url=http://www.lutonfc.com/playerprofile.asp?PlayerID=155|title=Ryan Charles at lutonfc.com|publisher=lutonfc.com|accessdate=20 November 2001|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20071024202756/http://www.lutonfc.com/playerprofile.asp?PlayerID=155|archivedate=24 October 2007}}

In his first year as an apprentice in 2006, Charles scored 17 goals for the youth team, earning him the top goal scorer acclaim.{{cite news| url=http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10372~42014,00.html|title=Player profile: Ryan Charles|date=30 June 2008|publisher=Luton Town FC|accessdate=30 April 2009}} He was loaned to neighbouring Hitchin Town during the 2006–07 campaign, where he netted 3 goals in 10 appearances for the Canaries, including a 25-yard volley against Rugby Town.{{cite news| url=http://www.hitchintownfc.co.uk/reports/2006_7/rugbyhomesl.shtml|title=Hitchin 1–2 Rugby|date=4 April 2007|publisher=Hitchin Town F.C.|accessdate=3 May 2009}}

In his second year as a scholar, Charles was sent out on loan to Conference North side Hinckley United in December 2007, where he made two appearances, one in the league, in a two-month loan spell.{{cite news| url=http://www.hinckleyunitedfc.co.uk/archive/pp_arch/pp/charles_ryan.html|title=Ryan Charles at the Hinckley United database|publisher=Hinckley United F.C.|accessdate=20 November 2001}}

On 8 April 2008, Charles made his Luton Town debut as a substitute against Southend United. He went on to make 7 league appearances for Luton during the latter part of the season, operating in attack alongside Sam Parkin. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 victory against Oldham Athletic, after chesting the ball down, turning his marker and volleying home.{{cite news| url=http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10372~38304,00.html|title=Match report: Luton 3–0 Oldham|date=15 March 2008|publisher=Luton Town F.C.|accessdate=30 April 2009}} This goal earned him the 'Goal of the Season' award as voted for by Hatters fans. Charles signed a professional contract at the end of the season, and was also awarded the 'Young Player of the Season' trophy.{{cite news|url=http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10372~1306446,00.html|title=Luton Town end of season awards|date=6 May 2008|publisher=Luton Town F.C.|accessdate=30 April 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218035204/http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10372~1306446%2C00.html|archivedate=18 February 2012}}

In the 2008–09 season, Charles made ten league appearances for Luton, scoring once. He also scored in the Football League Trophy Southern Area Final in a 4–3 penalty shoot-out victory against Brighton that saw Luton into the final at Wembley, which they went on to win. On 26 March 2009, Charles was sent on loan to Kettering Town, where he made nine appearances, scoring once.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/k/kettering_town/7966791.stm|title=Poppies sign Luton Town striker |date=26 March 2009|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=30 April 2009}}

On 26 November 2009, Charles joined Kidderminster Harriers, the team he had scored a late winner against as a Luton player in October,{{cite news

| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/8294563.stm

| title=Kidderminster 1–2 Luton

| date=10 October 2009

| publisher=BBC Sport

| accessdate=26 November 2009}} on a one-month loan as part of the deal taking Harriers striker Matthew Barnes-Homer to Luton.{{cite news

| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/k/kidderminster_harriers/8381722.stm

| title=Luton sign Harriers' Barnes-Homer

| date=26 November 2009

| publisher=BBC Sport

| accessdate=26 November 2009}} He played three games at Kidderminster, before returning to Luton. Charles did not play another game that season, and was released from the club on 31 May 2010.{{cite news

|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/luton_town/8714280.stm

|title = Luton Town release Ryan Charles and George Beavan

|publisher = BBC Sport

|date = 31 May 2010

|accessdate = 31 May 2010}}

Charles signed for Luton's Conference National rivals Rushden & Diamonds on 1 July 2010.{{cite news

|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rushden_and_diamonds/8743065.stm

|title = Rushden & Diamonds sign ex-Luton striker Ryan Charles

|publisher = BBC Sport

|date = 16 June 2010

|accessdate = 16 June 2010}}

In June 2011, he joined Cambridge United.{{cite news

|url = http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Sport/Cambridge-United/Striker-Charles-joins-United-14062011.htm?

|title = Striker Charles joins United

|newspaper = Cambridge News

|date = 14 June 2011

|accessdate = 15 June 2011

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110619003447/http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Sport/Cambridge-United/Striker-Charles-joins-United-14062011.htm

|archivedate = 19 June 2011

}} He was a free transfer due to Rushden and Diamonds' expulsion from the football conference. He signed a one-year contract with Cambridge United in the summer of 2011.

On 6 January 2012, Charles joined Newport County on loan until the end of the 2011–12 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/16439923|title=Conal Platt agrees Lincoln move and Ryan Charles joins Newport|date=6 January 2012|via=www.bbc.co.uk}} Charles made his debut for Newport versus Luton on 7 January but was sent off after 33 minutes for a two-footed challenge. Following the end of his loan spell at Newport County, Charles left parent club Cambridge United as he decided not to exercise his one-year extension to his contract and joined Newport on a permanent deal.{{cite news

|url = http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Sport/Cambridge-United/McAuley-must-aspire-to-more-than-Three-Lions-10052012.htm

|title = McAuley 'must aspire to more than Three Lions'

|newspaper = Cambridge News

|date = 10 May 2012

|accessdate = 10 May 2012

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120513112333/http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Sport/Cambridge-United/McAuley-must-aspire-to-more-than-Three-Lions-10052012.htm

|archivedate = 13 May 2012

}} Charles was released by Newport County on 5 February 2013.

International career

In October 2024 at the age of 35, Charles received his first called up to the Saint Lucia national team for a set of 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League matches.{{Cite web|url=https://stluciatimes.com/166425/2024/10/changes-for-saint-lucia-ahead-of-cnl-window/|title=Changes For Saint Lucia Ahead Of CNL Window|first=Terry|last=Finisterre|date=10 October 2024|website=St. Lucia Times}}