at Highbury with Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires at the peak of their powers, and Thomas made just three appearances in the 2003–04 season – all in the League Cup. After Arsène Wenger signed José Antonio Reyes in January 2004, Thomas turned down a new one-year contract with the "Gunners" and decided it was best to look for first team football elsewhere. Charlton Athletic Thomas was signed by Premier League club Charlton Athletic on a two-and-a-half-year contract for a £100,000 fee in February 2004. He had been spotted by manager Alan Curbishley playing for Arsenal reserves. He played just 45 minutes for the "Addicks" in the 2003–04 season, coming on for Paul Konchesky at half-time during a 2–2 home draw that relegated opponents Leicester City. He scored his first top-flight goal in a 3–2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 6 November, a game in which he was described as "a constant outlet on the left" and also provided Shaun Bartlett with an assist. He scored with a curling shot from 23-yards out in the return game against Spurs on 16 March, which gave Charlton a 2–0 victory, and finished the 2004–05 season with three goals in 24 league appearances. He made 31 league and cup appearances in the 2005–06 campaign, though scored just one goal, again against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, though this time it was a consolation goal in a 3–1 defeat. He signed a new three-year contract after Iain Dowie was installed as manager in summer 2006, and defended Dowie after the club's poor start to the season, saying "I laugh at people when they talk about relegation. There's no way we will go down." Dowie was sacked in November 2006, and new manager Les Reed told Thomas he was not needed at The Valley. However Reed's reign would prove even shorter than Dowie's, and new manager Alan Pardew returned Thomas to the starting eleven but could not steer the club away from relegation at the end of the 2006–07 season. He featured 33 times in the 2007–08 campaign as Charlton finished 11th in the Championship. Portsmouth In August 2008, he joined Premier League club Portsmouth on an initial season-long loan, which was made into a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee after only six days. Chief executive Peter Storrie stated that "It frees up a loan space for us" and said that