Charlton’s Lee Bowyer is under no illusions of the magnitude of the weekend’s fixture against Millwall.

Such is the importance and pressure of the fixture, the Addicks chief admitted he’s broken from weekly tradition to prepare for the trip to The Den on Saturday.

With three points and more importantly, ‘bragging rights’ on the line, Bowyer spoke of getting his players in the right frame of mind to turn get a first win over their London rivals in 23 years.

“I won’t need to give them a kick up the arse, but I will!” he said.

“They need to know the importance of the result and what it means to people.

“Every derby up and down the country, they need to know the importance of what it means to fans.

“We’ve got a meeting this morning (Thursday) and I’ll tell them in a nice way how important it is.

“Normally we wouldn’t name a side on a Thursday but I’ll name it so they can get it in their head and get ready and prepare for what’s coming on Saturday.”

As a former Charlton, Leeds United, Newcastle, West Ham and Birmingham player, Bowyer is no stranger to a derby or a grudge match.

“I’ve played in it, I know what it’s like,” he continued.

“It means everything.

“Leeds - Manchester United, West Ham – Spurs, Birmingham – Villa, Charlton – Millwall.

“I think that winning is important but these types of games, local derbies, are a big part why you play.

“And I’m still here.”

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