Stephen Henderson admits some big decisions need to be taken by Charlton’s owners over the close season.

The Addicks have collected seven wins from the previous nine games going into Friday’s derby date at Millwall, but the impressive run has come too late in the day to produce a late surge for the play-offs.

A 13-game winless spell between November and February ultimately cost Charlton this season, although the keeper knows player recruitment this summer will go a long way to determining if the club really can challenge for the Premier League in 12 months time.

Henderson said: “I’m actually more frustrated that we don’t have a late way through to the play-offs considering the quality we have in the team.

“I know it is pretty much impossible to make it now but it is just frustrating that we had such a bad three months and ended up giving ourselves a mountain to climb.

“That is my only regret for this season - that we didn’t have a better go to reach the play-offs this year.”

He added: “I think it is a big summer for the people upstairs.

“We need to tie a few of our players down and we need to sign one or two more in the summer.

“Obviously we need to keep certain individuals to really have a go next year.

“We can’t be letting five/ten players go, we need consistency and I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the ins and outs over the summer, that’s for sure.”

Charlton head to Millwall on Friday looking to secure a first win over their rivals in 19 years.

Henderson missed the 0-0 Valley draw earlier in the season through injury so will be making his first appearance in the derby fixture if chosen, but the Dubliner is already fully aware of what is at stake.

“I know a lot more about the rivalry since I signed for the club from speaking to the fans and watching the home fixture in November,” he explained.

“It wasn’t actually a great game that day but we could have nicked it at the end because George Tucudean had a great opportunity to win the game.

“Overall a draw was probably a fair result.”

But despite Charlton’s lamentable record in the fixture, Henderson isn’t reading anything into it.

“Personally I don’t pay any attention to that at all,” the keeper said.

“Someone mentioned the record to me and it is phenomenal how many years it has been.

“I couldn’t believe it, although I don’t know how many times we’ve actually played them during that time.

“Obviously we will go there to win at their place.”

Henderson joined the Addicks in the summer from West Ham but denied any suggestion his background as an ex-Iron added any personal spice to the Millwall game.

“Not really if I’m being honest because I didn’t play at West Ham.

“I was on loan a lot. I’m sure I will get stick regardless of whether I was at West Ham or not!

“That is all part and parcel of the game.”

Charlton’s winless run coincided with a three-month spell on the sidelines for Henderson, a disastrous run of form which didn’t finally end until the keeper returned to face Brentford on February 14.

He said: “It was very frustrating to be out for that long but there were a lot of positives to take out of it as well.

“I had the opportunity to work in the gym and come back stronger.

“Hopefully I can keep fit now until the end of the season.

“The new manager has brought great energy so it was just a matter of time before the lads brought into it and knew what way the manager wanted us to play.

“I just think I timed it right - the Brentford game was the right time for me to come back and I think it was just purely a coincidence that our run started then.

“I’m happy to be back.”

And Henderson has been suitably impressed by the impact made by Guy Luzon since the Israeli assumed control at The Valley.

“He is very clear in what he wants,” the keeper said.

“There is no messing about with him, what you see is what you get.

“I know we lost two of the last nine games but there has been a lot of positives even from those defeats.

“As a manager he knows what he wants and the lads have brought into it.”

One man who has made a huge difference to Charlton since coming into the side is striker Tony Watt, with Henderson confessing to being a big fan of the Scotsman.

“He has been excellent. He is young and when he goes out you can see he just enjoys it.

“Tony has been absolutely phenomenal since he came in and he is a good lad as well so I’m really happy for him.

“I still think there is a lot more to come from him.”

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