Staying up with the Joneses? Charlton's Nathan and Lloyd on Championship and Wales aims

"If they ring me up, there is not a single ounce of my being that wouldn't recommend Lloyd Jones to play for my country."

Nathan Jones has no doubts.

He would have a clear message for Wales manager Craig Bellamy and his assistant Andrew Crofts if they enquired about the suitability of his centre-back for an international call-up.

"Comfortably he's good enough," insists the Welsh Charlton boss. "Categorically, I would not think twice about recommending him."

He shares that emphatic endorsement to Sky Sports just days after Wales' World Cup dream ended with a painful play-off defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It also comes in the context of a superb season Lloyd is enjoying in the Championship with Charlton.

The quality of his campaign is underlined by the fact Charlton supporters have voted for the towering defender to be named as the club's player of the month for the fifth month in a row.

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Image: Lloyd Jones' stats in the Championship this season

The 30-year-old represented both Wales and England in youth football and qualifies for Wales through his father. "It would be a real honour to represent and play international football," he tells Sky Sports himself*.* But his focus right now, understandably, is on sealing Charlton's second-tier status.

The Joneses played instrumental roles in the club's ascent last season from League One and, while there have been difficult moments during this first season back at Championship level, the Addicks are well placed to establish a foothold in the division.

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With seven games to play, they sit 18th in the table, nine points above the relegation zone.

Championship fixtures | Championship table | Championship highlights

"It would be a big thing for us, staying up," says Lloyd. "But I don't want to set my career up to just be staying in the league. I don't want to just take part."

Charlton boss Nathan Jones shows his appreciation to supporters

Image: Charlton boss Nathan Jones has praised his namesake's performances

It is that ambition and drive that makes him an important player for his manager. Nathan first worked with Lloyd when he signed him at Luton Town in 2018. Back then, Lloyd was a young player finding his way in the game after leaving Liverpool.

When they reunited at Charlton in 2023, he was the leader Nathan needed in his backline.

"I love working with Lloyd," says Nathan. "I signed Lloyd at Luton and he wasn't the player he is today.

"The talent and the ability were there but the all-round package wasn't. Then when I came back [to work with him at Charlton] you could see a different maturity and that's just grown.

"He plays with confidence, he plays with the trust of the manager. We demand certain stuff from him and don't let him rest on his laurels. We expect big things from him and we set up for his strengths. He's been magnificent."

Lloyd helped Charlton record a club-record 23 clean sheets last season in League One. While it has been a step up this term, the 6ft 3in defender tops the Championship metrics for clearances and aerial duels won, highlighting his combative approach.

Image: Lloyd Jones wins a header - he has won more aerial duels than any player in the Championship

They are eye-catching statistics for a player getting a full-on taste of the Championship for the first time.

After Luton, there were spells in League One with Northampton Town and Cambridge United. But now Lloyd is playing the best football of his career - and he places plenty of credit for his personal development down to his current Charlton boss.

"If I need a kick up the backside, he'll give me that," laughs Lloyd when asked about his relationship with Nathan. "He's good with the way he praises me. I'd say a bit more on the tough love side, but I think he's brilliant.

"When I signed for him [at Luton] I wasn't in the same headspace as I am now.

"I went into a winning side, I didn't play as much as I wanted to. My mentality was a little bit different then, but I think this time around, I love playing for him. I know I want to do well for him.

"When I'm a bit tired out there, you sometimes do it for him as well. I think a lot of the team will feel like that. He's a big part in how my career took off in the last two or three years.

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"Yes, I've always had inner confidence. I've been unlucky with injuries in my early career and also not being an absolute angel.

"But I think probably in the last four or five years, I realised what I wanted, and that's football. I love playing on a Saturday and winning three points."

It's a Friday-Monday schedule for Charlton this Easter weekend. Bristol City and Watford will have the challenge of keeping up with the Joneses.

It's a player-manager combination which has delivered dividends for both of them and Charlton too. And perhaps, in the future, for Wales…

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