Charlton Athletic’s XI if they had kept their best players

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Struggling in League One, times have certainly been better for Charlton Athletic.

The Valley – Charlton Athletic

The heady days of mixing it in the Premier League under Alan Curbishley seems a long time ago for Charlton Athletic.

The Addicks currently sit in the bottom half of the third tier of English football, and supporter unrest is at an all time high, with anger directed at their controversial Belgian owners.

Part of the frustration comes at the club’s inability to keep hold of their best players, some of which even pre-dates the current ownership.

Here is a look at an impressive XI of players Charlton could have fielded, had they kept them.

GK: Nick Pope

Pope signed for Charlton in 2011 but spent most of his time at the club out on loan in the lower leagues. Last season he really established himself as a Championship starter, and was quickly sold to Premier League club Burnley this past summer.

LB: Rhoys Wiggins

Wiggins played for Charlton for four seasons before leaving for Sheffield Wednesday in 2015.

Norwich City’s Lewis Grabban in action with Charlton’s Rhoys Wiggins

The 29-year-old later joined Premier League side Bournemouth, although is back on loan in the Championship with Birmingham City.

CB: Michael Morrison

Morrison was a key figure in Chris Powell’s Charlton side, and racked up more than 100 appearances for the club. He was sold to Birmingham City in 2014 where he has remained since, and become a near ever present in their starting XI.

CB: Joe Gomez

Gomez was one of Charlton’s outstanding youth talents who broke into the first team as a teenager. He was promptly sold to Liverpool last summer, where only a serious knee injury has hampered his impressive progress.

Liverpool’s Joe Gomez in action with Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey

Able to play at centre-back or full-back, Gomez is a future England international.

RB: Carl Jenkinson

Jenkinson has been capped by England, and like Gomez, has recently bounced back from a serious knee injury.

Reading’s former Charlton ace Callum Harriott in action with Arsenal’s Carl Jenkinson

He was sold by Charlton to boyhood club Arsenal in 2011, and due to a recent injury to Hector Bellerin, he is in line to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next week.

MF: Joey Gudmundsson

Icelandic international Gudmundsson was one of Charlton’s best players over a tough past two seasons, and their relegation made hanging on to him impossible. He was sold in the summer to Premier League side Burnley, where he has become a regular.

MF: Jordan Cousins

Another academy talent, Jordan Cousins has represented England at four separate youth levels. After playing more than 130 games for Charlton, he was sold to Queens Park Rangers this past summer.

MF: Jose Semedo

A former Charlton player of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo’s boyhood friend was allowed to leave as a free agent in 2011.

Jose Semedo – Sheffield Wednesday

He signed for Championship side Sheffield Wednesday where he has become a fan favourite and remained ever since.

MF: Diego Poyet

Son of former Premier League star Gus, Diego Poyet was tipped as the next big thing after breaking into Charlton’s first team in early 2014. He declined a contract extension and joined West Ham, but has been unable to kick on, and had an unhappy loan spell back at Charlton last season. Had he stayed originally, it could have been so very different.

MF: Jonjo Shelvey

The sale of Jonjo Shelvey to Liverpool in 2010 was the prelude to Charlton flogging the best of their academy talent over the subsequent seasons.

Newcastle United’s Jonjo Shelvey celebrates

His career has had it’s ups and downs, but he has represented England, and still just 24, he is a key part of Newcastle’s table topping Championship side.

FW: Callum Harriott

OK, so we have cheated a little. Harriott is more of a winger than a striker, but played up front at youth level.

Another promising academy talent, the England youth international was sold to Championship side Reading this past summer, where he has been a key part of the first team squad. Still only 22, Harriott has bags of potential.

Soon to be replacing him up front in this XI could be Ademola Lookman, Charlton’s most highly rated youngster at present.

The striker is attracting interest from Premier League sides, with The Mirror reporting the Addicks are holding out for a £10 million offer, having snubbed a £7 million bid from Everton.

Charlton Athletic’s Ademola Lookman in action with Fulham’s Chris Baird