Charlton star Jordan Cousins says Jose Riga is the best manager he has ever worked with.

Riga, 58, returned to the club in January after guiding the Addicks to safety in the 2013-14 season.

Despite taking over with the club fourth from bottom and in dire trouble, Riga instigated an impressive escape during his first spell at the Valley.

The Belgian boss will be hoping for a similar outcome this season, with Charlton currently one point off safety after securing a vital win at Rotherham last weekend.

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When asked about his manager, Cousins told News Shopper: “He has a great understanding of what it takes to get results in the Championship.

“He sets us up well tactically, everyone knows their jobs and what they have to do.

“As well as defending and keeping it solid we also have an attacking threat up front, it’s about putting a few wins together and right now I think we’re in a good place to do that starting with Bristol City on Saturday.”

Cousins, who has played more than 100 games for the Addicks despite only being 21, excelled at the New York Stadium at the weekend and played a huge part in Igor Vetokele’s goal.

The midfielder says Riga stands out in his opinion of Charlton managers who he has worked with.

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“He is very, very good,” Cousins said.

“I have had six managers now and I would put him up there at the top.

“Obviously Chris Powell brought me into the first-team but other than that I think I’ve enjoyed working with Jose the most.

“He’s got that managerial quality and understands the players. He’s got experience and it’s nice to work under him.”

Former Metz and Standard Liege boss Riga has a strong reputation for getting the best out of faltering players – something which has already been evident since his return – and Cousins insists this is one of his main attributes.

“He’s not just a good coach, he’s also a good man manager so he gets the best out of players,” he added.

“He talks to you on a personal level and lets you know what you need to work on as an individual as well as how you can contribute more for the team.”

Since Riga’s return Charlton have picked up four points from three games – although the manager had not overseen a single training session before the thrashing at Hull.

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Saturday’s victory against fellow relegation-strugglers Rotherham ended an 11-match winless league run.

Cousins, who grew up in Greenwich and graduated through Charlton’s academy system, admits it was a difficult time but insists his past experiences helped him stay positive.

He said: “It is not the best but the only good thing about it is that I’ve been through it before.

“I’m experienced in it so I know what it takes and what we need to do as a group to get out of it.

“I think my past experiences are helping me in this situation and hopefully now we are starting to turn things around.”

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