due to the terms of his loan deal. Although he was unable to prevent Charlton from being relegated at the end of 2006–07, his outstanding form led him to be named as the Charlton Athletic Player of the Year, the first loan player ever to receive the award. Loan to Aston Villa Carson returned to Liverpool at the end of the season and in June 2007, Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez confirmed that he would be part of the first-team squad for the 2007–08 season, saying "He must fight with Pepe Reina now for a starting place." Carson remained second choice to Reina, however, and faced further competition following the signing of Charles Itandje in August 2007; as a result, Carson was loaned out again, this time to Aston Villa at a cost to Villa of £2 million. Benitez said of the deal, "We do not want to sell him, we are very happy with Scott. But he needs to play to keep up his England place." Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill preferred Carson to Thomas Sørensen and Stuart Taylor, and Carson played in all but three of Villa's 38 league matches, missing the two matches against Liverpool as he was ineligible to play, and kept 11 clean sheets during the 2007–08 season. He received the first red card of his career when he fouled Carlos Tevez in Villa's 4–1 Premier League defeat to Manchester United. West Bromwich Albion Carson returned to Liverpool at the end of the 2007–08 season but in July 2008 joined West Bromwich Albion on a four-year contract for a £3.25 million fee, possibly rising to £3.75 million, with an option for the club to extend the contract by another year. Carson, who had played for five different clubs since making his debut for Leeds in 2004, explained that he wanted to get settled at one club, saying "I've been like a nomad for three or four years. It'll be good to get some roots and hopefully settle. I can see myself here for four or five years, even longer." He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Arsenal in the opening match of the 2008–09 Premier League season. Despite relegation to the Championship, Carson kept his first team place and after the departure of captain Jonathan Greening he was given the captaincy. West Bromwich Albion won promotion back to the Premier League, finishing second, 12