To say that Adam Wharton has enjoyed a whirlwind rise to the top would be as understated as one of the midfielder’s passes. On 20 January this year, Wharton played and scored in his final appearance for Blackburn Rovers in the Championship . Less than 150 days later and he could be involved for England in their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia after excelling at Crystal Palace .
A perfect storm gathered to accelerate Wharton’s development. He benefited from Oliver Glasner’s arrival at Selhurst Park , flourishing in a swaggering side that took 19 points from their final seven games and also profited from Jordan Henderson’s self-inflicted demise to gatecrash Gareth Southgate’s squad after playing just 16 times in the Premier League. “It’s gone really fast,” Wharton admitted this week.
“I’ve really enjoyed the last six months and I just want to keep playing football and getting better.” Read Next Crystal Palace have shamed their rivals by signing Adam Wharton for just £18m The speed at which the 20-year-old has travelled has taken some England fans aback. To many, he is a curiously unknown quantity.
He is an unassuming character off the pitch – although he has rejected his Dad’s claims that he is a “loner” – and is discreet on it. One high-profile comedian inferred that Wharton’s inclusion and Jack Grealish’s omission was a prime example of Southgate’s cautious side – presumably after finishing his comparison of apples and oranges. It’s .
