Charlie Mel Barker

Charlie Barker was named Crawley Town's Player of the Season for 2024–25, a year in which the club went down from League One. He had played 45 League One games that season and scored twice.

The route there ran through non-league football. Barker came up through Charlton Athletic's youth system and made his senior debut in the EFL Trophy in September 2020 under Lee Bowyer, who called him "outstanding". His first senior goal came in an EFL Cup tie against Swindon Town. Across three years he played 11 times for Charlton in all competitions and scored that one goal.

Regular football meant leaving. He had a short loan at Wealdstone in September 2021, then spent time at Hemel Hempstead Town in the National League South, where he played seven league games. He returned to Wealdstone in October 2022 and played 30 times that season.

Wealdstone made the move permanent in 2023, when his Charlton contract ran out. In 2023–24 he played 47 games and scored twice. One of those goals came in the 98th minute, a winner against Barnet in November 2023. He finished the season as the club's Junior Stones Player of the Season.

Crawley Town signed him in June 2024 for an undisclosed fee. He has not played for England at any youth level.