If the former, Haselbaink and Barnes, both of whom were well past it by the time we got them. Or Di Canio and Crooks, who were also past their best but not as over the hill as the other two.
Or even Jim Melrose, who pretty much single-handedly kept us up one year. Or outstanding but elderly central defenders who came to us towards the end of outstanding careers elsewhere like McLaughin and Pates.
If we mean players who went on to achieve their best after leaving Charlton, then Defoe, Lee, Parker and Bowyer (did anyone else mention him - I think after leaving Charlton he was Leeds player of the year two years running?)
But if we mean players whose peak probably came during their time at Charlton, then Bartram, Summers, Hales, Flanagan, Rufus and Humphrey all come to mind.
Andy Reid, Darren Bent and Jensen were also at the height of their powers when we sold them and would all be good calls.
On balance I think Reid probably gets my vote, simply because endlessly creative midfielders in my book are even rarer than 20 goals-a-season strikers.
Comments
Barnes
Di Canio
Lee
Jensen
Parker
Hales
Defoe
Bent
In that order
Career peak or Charlton peak?
If the former, Haselbaink and Barnes, both of whom were well past it by the time we got them. Or Di Canio and Crooks, who were also past their best but not as over the hill as the other two.
Or even Jim Melrose, who pretty much single-handedly kept us up one year. Or outstanding but elderly central defenders who came to us towards the end of outstanding careers elsewhere like McLaughin and Pates.
If we mean players who went on to achieve their best after leaving Charlton, then Defoe, Lee, Parker and Bowyer (did anyone else mention him - I think after leaving Charlton he was Leeds player of the year two years running?)
But if we mean players whose peak probably came during their time at Charlton, then Bartram, Summers, Hales, Flanagan, Rufus and Humphrey all come to mind.
Andy Reid, Darren Bent and Jensen were also at the height of their powers when we sold them and would all be good calls.
On balance I think Reid probably gets my vote, simply because endlessly creative midfielders in my book are even rarer than 20 goals-a-season strikers.
Surely Simonsen in his European player of the year era would have been tasty too