Depends what you mean.
1) I don't think you mean the eleven best players who happened to have played at Charlton at some point. If you did, Allan Simonsen might be first name on your list. We don't get many European Footballers of the Year down the Valley. Another would be Hans Jeppson who later cost the world record transfer fee. But these guys only just got into double figures in appearances for the Addicks. It was a lot of fun having Jorge Costa and Di Canio but they were only here for a short period at the ***-end of their careers.
2) Some people have gone for great club servants like Barness, Steve Brown, Nelson, John Robinson, and a whole list of others. Fair enough, they are the ones we remember with affection. My own list of such would mainly be of players from the '60s when I had the most fun watching Charlton (Ray Treacy, Alan Campbell, Charlie Wright, Bob Curtis, etc). Kermorgant has one foot in this group and the other in the "cult figures" group. But none of these are truly top class players so I will let my head rule my heart.
Including only those I watched:
We have had some great 'keepers (Johns, Bolder, Kiely) but it has to be Sam Bartram. Twenty-two years at Charlton, played 623 times, despite missing five of what would have been his peak years because of WWII, never dropped. Never played for England. How many caps would he have these days when we play teams like Andorra and San Marino and caps are handed out like Smarties?
Chris Solly is the latest in a long line of excellent right-backs. I saw Billy Bonds, then John Sewell, then Bob Curtis. More recently we had John Humphrey and Luke Young. I will plump for Humphrey because Bonds peaked at West Ham.
Left-back is a lot harder. For most of my earlier Addicks-watching years the position was filled adequately but not oustandingly by Townsend, Tocknell, Kiernan and Kinsey. These guys had extended runs mainly because there was little competition. The more recent Mark Reid, Minto and Powell were probably better than any of them. I am going for John Hewie. He could play well anywhere, and was even first choice in goal a few times.
I don't think we have a rich history of centre-backs. Hinton peaked after leaving Charlton, Shirtliff and Balmer were good but not top level. I am going for Richard Rufus.
If we need two centre-backs, then I pick Paul Elliott. Derek Ufton was injury prone by the time I started watching.
If two old-style wing-halves are required, then Mick Bailey and Mark Kinsella. Scott Parker only had a brief time with us as a mature player. In my opinion he never realised his real potential anywhere.
As for "deep-lying" or "scheming" inside forwards I cannot think of too many stars. I loved Alan Campbell and more recently we have had Paul Walsh, Jensen and Andy Reid. But unlike some clubs, most of our creativity has come from wide (Peacock, Robert Lee, etc) or from "support strikers". The best of the latter was Stuart Leary, a thinking player who was a decade ahead of his time and was badly treated by Charlton and the FA. Both creator and prolific goal-scorer.
We have had some great centre-forwards. Jeppson (who only played 11 games as an "amateur" and kept us up) was before my time. I watched Charlie Vaughan when past his best. Ray Treacy was my favourite though he could blow hot or cold. Then Hales, but he played for us in the lower tiers so I am not sure how good he really was, and Mendonca (not enough games to make my pick). Vetokele is a type of striker we have never had before. A genuine centre-forward but of diminutive stature. It has to be Firmani. Shortly after leaving us, considered maybe the best CF in Europe.
As you may know, I don't like "real" wingers, so won't pick any, but Chris Duffy, Gordon Hurst, Lawrie, Flanagan and Peacock get honourable mentions.
Bartram
Humphrey, Rufus, Elliott, Hewie
Robert Lee, Bailey, Kinsella, Paul Walsh
Leary, Firmani.
Very difficult to mix players of different eras who were used to different formations. I suppose Walsh would play "in the hole" and Lee float from wing to wing (or vice versa).
If I look at this tomorrow I might pick a completely different selection.
