Operating as a makeshift centre forward to combat Dorking Wanderers’ horrendous injury-riddled campaign, former Stevenage FC midfielder Charlie Carter stood up to the plate and delivered the goods.
Netting eight goals in eight centre forward appearances, the midfielder showcased his football league pedigree, having made 81 appearances in the EFL, whilst scoring a further six goals and three assists from the centre of the park.
Fast forward to the end of the season, and Marc White’s Dorking remain in Step Two for 2026/27, while his star midfielder looks destined for a move further up the pyramid.
Having previously displayed genuine talent in the football league, Charlie Carter is generating interest from three League Two sides: Colchester United, Crawley Town, and Newport County, alongside National League sides Yeovil and Southend.
For the avid ‘Bunch of Amateurs’ series watchers, it will be clear to see why.
In the 2024/25 season, Carter netted a seven-minute hat-trick, as his side put Hampton and Richmond to the sword. Of course, League Two demands a lot of players to perform at the highest level, and as an individual, Carter offers much more than just goal-scoring ability.
On the ball, the Fulham academy product possesses real technical ability: comfortable in tight spaces, capable of linking play, and arriving in the box at the precise moment to finish attacking transitions. A prime example of this can be seen with one of his three excellent goals against Eastbourne Borough last December.
There is a reason manager Marc White described him as “everything that you want in a footballer” when he promoted him to captain.
With this, the midfielder obviously carries a dimension of leadership. Across his time at both Eastleigh and Dorking, the armband has been Carter’s. Any League club that wins the man’s signature signs a talented footballer and a key character for the dressing room.
Leading the pack in the race for the 29-year-old’s signature, Danny Cowley’s Colchester United find themselves in pursuit of a replacement for departing Oxford United loanee Will Goodwin.
For Colchester, an encouraging start to their campaign quickly fizzled out into a mid-table finish. But with a vital Summer Window on the cards, Cowley’s ‘Colu’ will be hopeful for a playoff campaign next season.
Looking to support the likes of Samson Tovide and Jaden Williams in the side’s attacking output, Cowley’s targeting of an experienced Charlie Carter makes perfect sense.
Possessing the flair to play centrally or out wide, the midfielder possesses all the traits required to perform at a high level in the division. He has done so previously, of course, netting ten times for his former EFL side, Stevenage.
While this goal tally fails to pull up any trees, it bodes well for a midfielder who has been used extremely differently, in terms of goal-scoring output, under Marc White than he had previously at the Boro.
Carter’s playing evolution is hard to ignore and is evident in his statistics, accolades, and, most importantly, the number of Football League Clubs now monitoring his situation.
Looking to challenge frontrunners Colchester for his signature, National League and League Two competition, including the likes of Crawley Town FC and Newport County AFC, will be thinking along similar lines to Colchester. As two relegation-threatened sides, they will be more likely to offer regular first-team football.
Not only at League Two level, but especially at National League level, Carter’s arrival would not be overlooked by supporters but recognised as a potential top-scorer, a voice of leadership, and as one of the most interesting profiles to sign over the summer window.
For Marc White’s Dorking Wanderers, their fanbase will be aware of the profile that they are losing. Charlie Carter has been essential to the foundations built at the Meadow Bank over the past three years.
With his contract expiring this summer, the Surrey-based side has a real challenge on its hands to keep him on the books, battling against the promise of a potential awaited return to professional football.
Without a doubt, Charlie Carter genuinely deserves this opportunity. As a captain, he stood forward to take on goalscoring responsibilities when his team required it; the EFL would be lucky to have him back, wherever he ends up.
