Bob Peeters has revealed how sometimes he needs to keep Charlton defender Andre Bikey on his toes – by kicking him up the backside.

The former Reading and Middlesbrough centre half has been an ever present for the unbeaten Addicks, forming an impressive partnership with fellow summer signing Tal Ben Haim at the heart of Charlton’s defence.

But despite the fine start to life in SE7, head coach Peeters isn’t afraid to challenge his player if the boss feels he is dipping below his own high standards.

The Belgian boss said: “He is very important and he is a great lad but he is one of the players sometimes you need to kick his a*se.

“That’s what I do and he knows. He is not happy with that but every time we do it then he is brilliant again.

“He knows how I think about him, he knows I love him but I need to keep him sharp every day and that’s what we do.

“At the moment he is doing brilliant.

“I’ve been a player as well in the Championship and if you look at him as a striker you are not thinking ‘I am going to have some fun on the pitch today’.

“That’s what it is all about. He is a good player as well, it is not only that he is physical but also his positional game is very good as well.

“In the beginning of pre-season they were still looking for their position together but I think now Tal Ben Haim and Bikey are doing superb.

“It starts with that and also with a good goalkeeper.”

And Peeters was keen to emphasise the importance of Charlton’s number one to the club’s current success after another excellent display in Tuesday’s 1-0 win at Carrow Road.

The manager added: “I think Henderson is progressing every week.

“He makes some saves at the right moments because if he didn’t make that save (at Norwich) we are losing 1-0 and maybe the game is finished.

“He did a brilliant save and at the end we win the three points.

“I heard an analyser on Sky talking about Simon Mignolet and the people were saying a good goalkeeper saves you at brilliant times.

“I think that is what Stephen Henderson did on our level – I’m not comparing him to Mignolet because we know he is a good goalkeeper whatever they say.

“It is just about if you want to get a result away at Norwich sometimes you need a good goalkeeper to save you.”

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