Powell in shock Addicks return

Chris Powell has rejoined Charlton after deciding to leave West Ham.

Chris Powell has rejoined Charlton Athletic after deciding to leave newly promoted West Ham United, skysports.com can reveal.

The Hammers had been desperate to keep experienced campaigner Powell, who played a major role in helping them back to The Premiership.

However, talks have not gone well over recent weeks and now Powell has decided to return to The Valley on a one-year contract after Charlton made him an offer he could not turn down.

"Chris has turned down West Ham and joined Charlton," Powell's agent Tony Finnigan told skysports.com.

"West Ham had a number of weeks to tie Chris down, but they didn't and they have now lost one of their most experienced players."

The 36-year-old played 200 league games for Charlton after joining from Derby in 1998, but he lost his first team place last year and departed for Upton Park in December.

Now the former England international has been given the chance to make a swift return and he will replace Paul Konchesky down the left, who ironically made the opposite move to West Ham earlier this summer.