Charlton Athletic had to pay Harrogate Town a 'significant' fee for Kayne Ramsay

The 23-year-old right-back joined League One Charlton Athletic late on deadline day for an undisclosed fee.

The former Chelsea and Southampton defender, who arrived at Wetherby Road on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, has been one of the Sulphurites’ star performers this term, making 30 appearances in all competitions and contributing five assists.

Ramsay’s form had reportedly attracted interest from a number of higher-division clubs, and with his contract up at the end of the season, it was always possible that he would move on during the January window.

But although Weaver has stressed that he would rather have kept hold of one of his key men, he said that he felt it would be wrong to stand in the way of an ambitious young talent once Charlton agreed to meet his demands and stump up what he feels is a “very good sum of money.”

The Town boss told the Harrogate Advertiser: "We have agreed a deal reluctantly.

"Kayne will be a big loss, we didn’t want to lose him, so we are sad to see him go but Charlton are a big club.

“With the team doing well of late, and given the way he was playing, we expected there to be interest, and that is something that we have to learn to deal with.

"But the deal had to be right for the club. There was a price that people had to reach if they wanted Kayne. I battle for my club, I want the best deal possible, a realistic fee, but one that I feel in my head that I can justify to everyone at Harrogate Town as being a good deal.

"It is a significant fee, a very good sum of money. So, it’s a win for us in the sense that we got him for free, he’s done very well for us and now we’ve received a healthy amount in return for his services.”

And Weaver had only positive things to say about Ramsay the man, and the footballer.

“He’s moved to a big club, and he’s back down in London, where he’s from, so you can see the appeal for Kayne,” he added.

“He has propelled his career forwards and he I think that he deserves everything he gets. He has matured beyond all comprehension as a player and as a person.

"He did okay in his first season here, but has been excellent this term, he has just gone from strength-to-strength and, for me, I think that he should be aiming for the stars now.”

Having provided Ramsay with a platform to get himself moving back up the footballing pyramid, Weaver is hopeful that the former Saints man’s story will work in the club’s favour when they attempt to recruit players from top teams in the future.

"We haven't tried to quash the ambition of a player to move to a higher-level club, which I think is important,” he continued.

“The position we are in as a League Two side, we will have to be a platform some, so this move is exciting for us in the sense that you have got to have selling points.

"We don’t have a 20,000-seater stadium, we’re not a club of the size of Stockport or Bradford City, so you have to be able to offer something else.

"For us, one of those things is being a platform for lads to come and play games, enjoy their football and develop – which is exactly what Kayne has done.”