CHRIS Powell is still searching for an assistant manager but has confirmed Damian Matthew will be installed as the Addicks’ first team coach this week.

New Charlton boss Powell has now been in charge for one week, but had no permanent right-hand man on Saturday as he watched his side kick off his term with a 2-0 win over Plymouth.

When asked about the possibility of Matthew becoming the first team coach, Powell replied: “Hopefully it will be, that’s my intention.

“Damian’s first-class. He’s been here a while with the academy and he knows the game.

“He’s a good coach, he spots things.

“You need people alongside you who can spot things that you don’t and he’s going to be very important for me.”

But Powell claimed he is in no rush to name a number two as he looks for the perfect candidate to join him.

The boss said: “I’m hoping to get someone in next week but there’s no rush, actually.

“The people we’ve got here - Damian Matthew, Keith Peacock and Ben Roberts - have been immense over the past week and I’m very happy with those guys.

“But if we can get someone who’s going to add to our coaching team and enhance it, then that would be great for us.

“I’m going to make sure it’s the right person who comes in, who will improve us and have a real affinity with my staff, my players and with the club.

“I’ve spoken to three or four different people and I still feel I’ve got to speak to one or two more and then have a quiet moment to decide who it’s going to be.

“Whoever’s linked to here at the moment, it wouldn’t be right to name them as I haven’t even got to saying ‘right, that’s the person’.

“There’s a lot of good people out there but I feel they’ve got to be right for me and this club.”

The rollercoaster journey which culminated with Addicks legend Powell being handed his first opportunity to manage came with the full blessing of his boss at Leicester, Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Eriksson handed Powell his five England caps and Powell paid tribute to the Swede’s contributions to his coaching career.

Powell explained: “Sven’s been part of the learning process for me and so was Nigel Pearson, who was my manager in my last playing years at Leicester until I retired last year.

“He was the one who really said I could potentially coach or manage, so I’ll be forever grateful to him for giving me my start.

“As you know in football, people move on and Paulo Sousa came in and I carried on in my role.

“Sven obviously is manager now, he is a very good manager with class stamped all over him and he’s very clever and very organised.

“There were loads of little things where I just looked at him and thought ‘I’d like to use that one day’.

“I never thought it’d happen so quickly but I feel I’m ready to do it.

“It’s very early days but it’s a very positive start for me and for the team.”

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