Johnnie Jackson rejected chances to leave Charlton - and ex-Addicks defender Lawrie Wilson has praised his close pal’s loyalty.

The Charlton captain, 35, will end his eight-year playing spell in SE7 when he retires next month.

Tomorrow’s clash with Blackburn could be the last time Addicks fans see player-coach Jackson at the Valley - if the club fails to make the top six.

And Wilson, who played with Jackson for three years after signing for Charlton in 2012, told News Shopper: “There were opportunities for Johnnie to leave. We used to speak about it quite a bit in the car, on the way in or on the way home from training.

“It happens in football, you're always going to get interest from other clubs, if a certain club doesn't want you, you can go elsewhere.

“There were stages in the time that I was there that it didn’t look like he was going to play. He wanted to prolong his career and carry on playing.

“Even now, I’m sure there will be offers at the end of the season where certain clubs would still take him.

“But his loyalty has always been with Charlton. It would have to be a very big offer to lure him elsewhere.

“When you make friends with Jacko, you’re not just a friend at that time, you’re really friends for life once you get that connection with him.

“He’s got that connection with a lot of the staff and fans at Charlton and it’s very hard to leave that, for him anyway.

MORE: ‘Johnnie Jackson is one of Charlton’s greats - boycotters should return for Blackburn game’​

“There have been some hard times around the club with certain things going on off the field. He’s always the one that has to go out and front fans and say what’s going on. It’s meant a lot to him over the eight years he’s been there.”

Wilson and Jackson have been friends since their Colchester days 12 years ago.

Jackson, who attended Wilson’s wedding in 2013, helped Charlton win the League One title and starred in the Championship during his illustrious playing career at the Valley.

Wilson, 30, has revealed his favourite memories of Jackson on and off the pitch.

The Ebbsfleet full-back said: “On the pitch, as a midfielder you always want them to score more goals, and he seemed to be in the right place at the right time in that first season in the Championship.

“He always used to come up with really important goals. The main one that sits in my mind is the QPR game.

“He was the captain so on the field, those were moments that you knew he’d be there to finish it.

“Off the field, he’s a great captain and a great friend. With captains, you get some that can’t interact with players, whereas he was very good with all age groups off the field.

This Is Local London: VALLEY DAYS: Lawrie Wilson in action for Charlton Athletic against Leicester City’s David Nugent in March 2014

Lawrie Wilson in action for Charlton

“He’s taking that into his coaching. Some people find it hard to speak to the younger lads and to relate to them, but Jacko seems to find it quite easy.

“He has a connection with players of all age groups in the team. It is something that will stand him in good stead in the future.”

Jackson is assisting caretaker boss Lee Bowyer as Charlton try to gain promotion to the Championship this season.

He was appointed first-team coach by ex-Addicks manager Karl Robinson last summer.

Jackson has played under seven different permanent managers during Roland Duchatelet’s controversial four-year reign.

And Wilson believes the constant managerial changes will help the Addicks legend in the future.

He said: “We actually took our Uefa B coaching badges together. So he always had that mentality [to coach and manage].

“As he got older, he always thought about the game more. When he was younger, he’d sit on the bench and watch the game, but when he got older and was on the bench, he’d be looking at other ways of playing.

“He’d take note of what sessions players liked. He’s done that for the last three or four years.

“It benefits him now having the different coaches he’s had and being around the players. He knows what they enjoy, what they don't enjoy, the bits that are good, the bits that are bad.

“Charlton have had so many different managers recently that Johnnie’s been able to take the good and the bad. He’s been able to say ‘that’s bad, I’ll never do that, and I’ll learn from it.’”

MORE: JACKO Q&A - Johnnie Jackson answers 13 quick-fire questions about his Charlton playing career

Wilson and Jackson are planning their holidays around the play-offs with Charlton and National League club Ebbsfleet chasing Wembley glory.

The pair have been holidaying together for the last four years.

Wilson, who made 108 Charlton appearances playing in defence and midfield, added: “We knew each other from when we were at Colchester and we’ve lived within the same area [in Essex] and know the same people.

“We were always in contact in some way and then we used to travel together to training in the car every day from the day I signed for Charlton.

“We’re still really close. Our wives are close as well. So it makes it a lot easier to keep in contact.

“I actually saw him last Saturday night - we had a good little catch-up.

“We tend to go away together at the end of the season and we keep in contact with the play-offs, because at the moment, our clubs are in them.

“We’re booking our holidays around that rather than the end of the season! I think we’re going to Spain.

“If Charlton make the play-off final I’ll definitely be there. I already said to my wife that it would be a great day out with the baby to go and watch.”

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