Daniel Kanu had a breakout season in 2023/24.
He scored two goals in his first four games for Charlton in Sky Bet League One before being loaned out to Southend, where he scored four goals on his debut in a 5–0 win over Solihull Moors. And less than a month later, he was playing as a senior for Sierra Leone in a World Cup qualifier against Egypt and Mohamed Salah.
Upon returning to The Valley in November 2023 after the season, the forward scored six goals in 30 league games and was named the club’s Young Player of the Year for the second time.
“He’s a really good kid. His work rate and what he does is really, really good,” commented Addicks coach Nathan Jones.
Daniel Kanu has been featured on Charlton’s books for over a decade.
Unfortunately, an ankle ligament injury limited him to just five league starts in 2024/25, but despite his frustrations, Kanu said being part of the ultimately successful promotion push was “life-changing”.
And it’s not just about absorbing the valuable experience that comes with it. He moved to Walsall on loan last summer.
“Walsall have been interested in me for a while and spoke to me early in pre-season to express interest. I had a few meetings and the meetings I had were very, very good,” explains the 21-year-old.
“They highlighted exactly where they wanted me to play, highlighted my strengths and how they would help me grow as a player. That was really important. It really fascinated me and it fascinated my parents and everyone around me.
“I felt trusted before I even said I would come to the club. That’s how I met him (Matt Sadler) and Darren Byfield. They were very keen to work with me and develop as a player. They understood what kind of player I was and how well I could fit into the team.”
The 21-year-old has scored 16 goals in 32 appearances for the Saddlers so far this season.
In the Midlands, Kanu showed his true abilities. His current return tally stands at 16 goals and 3 assists in 32 appearances across all competitions.
He says this is his “announcement year.”
“I think this is the first time I’ve been able to show the improvements I’ve made in every area of my game and in every area of my game. I’ve been able to really combine a lot of the things I’ve been working on since I was 18, 19 years old.
“Now that we’re bearing a lot of fruit, I’m grateful to them (Sadler and Byfield) for their faith. They showed a lot of faith and trust in me really, really early on, so I want to continue to repay them. Everything they said would happen, it did.”
“They helped me develop as a person and a player, I gained a lot of experience, played a lot of minutes and was able to repay them with a few goals.”
“I planned to get 10 before Christmas, 10 after Christmas and 11 before Christmas. That’s what I was aiming for and it’s crazy that we’re now in the middle of February! So yes, I’ve exceeded my goal. We’ll have to look at those again and come up with something that will give me an extra challenge.”
The way he continues to drive learning and improvement makes it clear that Kanu is trying to get as much as possible from this experience.
The opportunity to work with experienced players in the Saddlers team has definitely helped.
“After every game, Jamille Matt is always the first one to come up to me and say, ‘Daniel, maybe you could have done this or that. This was good, but…’
“Albert Adomah has been very encouraging and has told me a lot. I am up against Aden Flint most of the time in training and it is not easy! And Kemar Roofe has been very helpful when he has been here.
Kanu said Jamille Matt was the first player to offer him advice after the game.
“I was able to take what they said and try to apply it to myself in the right way. When someone yells at me, I know they are just trying to encourage me. I am just accepting these things. I am happy about all the criticism because it makes me a better player.”
“If I can go to bed and say, ‘I learned this today and this will help me be a better person tomorrow,’ that’s what matters, especially at my age.”
He knows he will become a much better player as a result.
“I’ve been speaking to some coaches recently and thinking about how much progress I’ve made between August and January and it’s amazing to know that I now have two more months to improve again.
“The beauty of it is that I can work on the training ground and test everything on match day and know if it works, if that’s what I need to do and when to do it.”
Despite Kanu’s goal, Walsall, who were top of the table from late September until just after Christmas, are in danger of missing out on promotion for a second successive season.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sky Bet League Two match highlights between Walsall and MK Dons.
A home defeat to MK Dons on Monday extended their winless run to seven, making it one of nine league wins since December 29. The gap with the playoff spot is 3 points, which is worrisome, but it is by no means insurmountable.
A win against Shrewsbury on Saturday, shown live on Sky Sports+ at 12.30pm, would be a huge win.
What does it take for the Saddlers to get right back into the playoff mix?
“Honestly, I think it’s just about staying connected,” says Kanu.
“You will eventually have bad patches. I speak from a little experience last season when I was at Charlton and there was a period of doom and gloom. You have one result and then before you know it the whole season changes.
“The most important thing for us is not to lose heart, and we will not lose heart.
“Another great thing I’ve enjoyed is being around good people who love football as much as I love football and like to work as hard as I work. When you have that kind of group, you know the results you want are just around the corner.
“We’re not going to lose faith or get discouraged. We’re just going to keep doing what we’ve been doing. We’ve already gotten to where we are because we’re in a good position to do something this season. It’s just about staying connected in everything we do.”
If this is Kanu’s release year, the message comes through loud and clear.
Watch the Sky Bet League Two clash between Shrewsbury and Walsall live on Sky Sports+ on Saturday. Kickoff 12:30 PM.
