Rochdale AFC sign forward Luke Charman

Luke Charman

Luke Charman has signed for Rochdale AFC from Darlington for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old forward has put pen-to-paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal at the Crown Oil Arena.

Charman has shown he has an eye for goal this season, scoring 12 times in 16 National League North games.

On joining the club, he said: “I’m excited and looking forward to getting going.

“It’s been just over a week I’ve had in my mind that I was going to be leaving [Darlington], and as soon as I came here, I was raring to go.

“Back in the Football League is where I want to play. Meeting up with Robbie [Stockdale], talking about what a good dressing room we’ve got, the style of play, it was an easy decision in the end. A lot of things fitted in, and it was a really good option for me.

“He [the manager] said I’m coming in to play a role, but he also wants me to play my game. I feel like I’ve done pretty well in the first half of the season with Darlington, but it was the time for me to take that step up and try to challenge myself again, and get back into the league, which is where I want to be.”

Charman joined Newcastle United’s Academy at the age of 14, progressing to sign a professional contract with the Premier League side in 2017.

He spent time on loan at Accrington Stanley in the 2018/19 season, before returning to Newcastle to captain their Under-23 side the following campaign.

In the summer of 2020, Charman joined Darlington, scoring six goals in the curtailed 2020/21 season.

The former Toon Army man made a flying start to this season, scoring eight goals in seven consecutive matches during September and October, adding four in as many games throughout December and January.

He still has two games of a four-match suspension to serve, which carries over from his time at Darlington, meaning he won't be able to play until Dale travel to Colchester United at the start of February.