Charlton Athletic’s ‘Most Talented’ 11 in History – including Jorge Costa and Ballon d’Or Winner

Charlton Athletic’s ‘Most Talented’ 11 in History – including Jorge Costa and Ballon d’Or Winner. The unexpected death of centre-back Jorge Costa came as shocking and saddening news to Charlton Athletic supporters this week.

Costa only made 26 appearances for the Addicks and yet is remembered fondly by fans for the performances and pedigree he showed while on loan at The Valley from FC Porto.

The Portuguese was a higher calibre of player than most representing the South East London club at that time, but a fall-out with manager Octavio Machado saw him loaned out for most of the 2001/02 season.

Charlton were the beneficiaries and Costa became nicknamed ‘the Tank’ for his stocky frame and crunching tackles. He then returned to Porto and captained the side that would win back-to-back Primeira Liga titles and the 2003/04 Champions League title under Jose Mourinho.

Costa holds unique status in Charlton history. He doesn’t quite fit the description of a club legend, having spent such a short time at The Valley, but is certainly one of the most talented and successful footballers to have represented the Addicks.

Inspired by Costa, GIVEMESPORT has created an 11 of the most talented footballers to have played for Charlton. They may not have enjoyed their best years at The Valley or been Charlton’s greatest club servants, but in terms of natural ability and career achievements, these are the very best to have donned the red shirt.

Goalkeeper Sam Bartram (GK)

Some great goalies have represented the Addicks down the years, including England international and current Newcastle No.1 Nick Pope, Premier League cult hero Dean Kiely and Bob Boulder – an unused substitute for Liverpool in the 1983-84 European Cup final. But Sam Bartram’s achievements in a Charlton shirt were not only exceptional by the Addicks’ standards, but also within the wider context of the beautiful game.

The legendary goalkeeper manned the net as Charlton won the FA Cup in 1947 – the greatest achievement in the club’s history. In 1954, he set an English Football League record with 500 appearances, and that year finished runner-up in the vote for the Footballer of the Year award, aged 40.

Bartram was an exceptional player and in his era was regarded as the finest goalkeeper never to play for England, having only ever represented England B.

Defence Billy Bonds (RB), Jorge Costa (CB), Joe Gomez (CB), Scott Minto (LB)

Billy Bonds is better associated with London rivals West Ham, with whom he won two FA Cups and reached the European Cup Winners’ Cup final, but the versatile defender/midfielder began his career at Charlton. Capable of playing in numerous roles, we’ve deployed him at right-back ahead of Luke Young, Chris Solly and current England and Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa.

The justification for Costa’s inclusion has already been discussed, but he is partnered by another Champions League-winning centre-back in Joe Gomez. Gomez is one of the Addicks’ greatest academy products, having won the FA Cup, League Cup, the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool, as well as representing England on 15 occasions.

There wasn’t much to choose between potential options at left-back with Scott Minto, Chris Powell and Paul Konchesky all enjoying similar careers. But Minto gets the nod having won the FA Cup with Chelsea and plied his trade in the Champions League during a spell at Benfica.

Midfield Rob Lee (RCM), Alex Song (CDM), John Barnes (LCM)

Rob Lee was a fundamental component of Kevin Keegan’s iconic ‘Entertainers’ Newcastle side and as well as narrowly missing out on the Premier League title, he represented the Magpies in various European competitions, namely the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and the Champions League.

The classy midfielder twice won the Premier League’s Player of the Month award was even included in the division’s 1995/96 Team of the Year. Lee made 21 appearances for England and was part of their 1998 World Cup squad.

Alex Song spent just a half-season at Charlton as Alan Pardew sought a loan signing who could help keep the Addicks in the Premier League. The young Cameroonian couldn’t prevent the inevitable but showed glimpses of elite ability at The Valley and would go on to become a key player for Arsenal.

He eventually left the Gunners for Barcelona, winning the La Liga title there in 2012/13, but never held down a consistent role in their starting 11.

There was plenty of competition for the final midfield slot, with Addicks alumni including club icons such as Claus Jensen and Mark Kinsella, as well as former FWA Footballer of the Year and England Player of the Year Scott Parker, and UEFA Cup winner Danny Murphy.

But in terms of pure footballing ability, few players to have graced The Valley home dressing room have rivaled John Barnes. The former England star was way beyond his best when he signed for Charlton in 1999, playing just twelve times before retiring upon the Addicks’ relegation at the end of the season.

However, Barnes’ career record speaks for itself: he won the First Division and the FA Cup twice with Liverpool, while he was also named PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 1988, and in 2007 was even inducted into the PFA Team of the Century. He’s one of the most naturally gifted English footballers of all time.

Forwards Ademola Lookman (RF), Allan Simonsen (ST), Paolo Di Canio (LF)

The Allan Simonsen saga is one of the most bizarre stories in the history of English football, having elected to join Second Division Charlton Athletic just months after scoring the winner for Barcelona in the 1981/82 European Cup Winners’ Cup final. The £300k swoop and Simonsen’s wages almost bankrupted the Addicks as the punt on increased ticket sales from having a former Ballon d’Or winner in the team backfired spectacularly.

Nonetheless, Simonsen is the only former Charlton player to win the greatest individual honour in football, while he also won the Bundesliga three times and was the top scorer in the 1977/78 European Cup, having also reached the final with Gladbach in the previous season.

Ademola Lookman, meanwhile, is the current African Footballer of the Year after scoring a hat-trick for Atalanta in the 2024 Europa League final. He was also a member of the 2024/25 Serie A Team of the Season, but the forward’s career had much humbler beginnings – Charlton plucked him from local non-league side Waterloo FC, and after a stint in the youth system, they fast-tracked him into the first team.

Lookman has gone on to play in the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Serie A, the Europa League, the Champions League and AFCON, reaching the final of the tournament with Nigeria in 2023.

Finishing off the forward line is Paolo Di Canio. There were plenty of options for the final slot, including Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe – two members of the Premier League’s 100-Club. Charlton legends Clive Mendonca, Derek Hales and Mike Flanagan were in the running too, but it was difficult to look beyond the footballing enigma that was Paolo Di Canio.

A true law unto himself, Di Canio could offend and delight in equal measure, his misdemeanors including pushing a referee and celebrating a goal for Lazio with a fascist salute. Nonetheless, he had a unique blend of tenacity and natural ability that obliged adulation from his own supporters, had him routinely courted by Sir Alex Ferguson, and won him the 1999/00 BBC Goal of the Season award.

Di Canio won the UEFA Cup and Serie A during his time in Italy. He never lifted silverware with the Addicks but his only season at The Valley resulted in their best finish of the Premier League era, ending the 2003/04 campaign in seventh place.