Wharton had been just as good in the home wins over West Ham and Newcastle. He is an unusual player. Comfortable taking the ball in difficult situations, he draws opponents in and then picks the pass. He is tall, and effective in the air. There was a suggestion that scouting reports for other potential interested parties had questioned his capacity to cover the distance required of a modern midfielder. But it has been no problem at Selhurst Park, or indeed Anfield, where he covered more than 11km in Palace’s shock 1-0 win there on April 14.
Nicknamed “the Wilpshire Pirlo” after the Lancashire village just north of Blackburn in which his footballing family live, Wharton has proved the quality of Championship academy football. In particular Blackburn, who nurtured the player with an impressive programme led by academy director Stuart Jones. Wharton’s older brother Scott, 26, is a regular in the first team at centre-half.
When he arrived at Palace, Wharton had just 44 Championship appearances to his name going back less than 18 months to his league debut in August 2022. Roy Hodgson selected him immediately, and in his successor, Oliver Glasner, Wharton has found a strong ally. The Austrian is a great admirer of the midfielder’s “preorientation” – an ability to know his pass, and his way out of trouble, even before he receives the ball.
For Palace it has been a golden four weeks. “I’m delighted for Adam,” Parish told Telegraph Sport. “It is well-deserved for him and for Ebs [Eberechi Eze], Marc [Guehi] and Dean [Henderson].
“The fact that Adam put his faith in us, and that players can get picked for England playing for Crystal Palace – is hugely beneficial in terms of attracting talent. It’s an exciting [England] squad with four Palace players in it.
“So a very proud moment for me, the manager, the fans and the recruitment department as well, of course, for their families, the coaches and the clubs that developed them along the way. It’s made even better that the four of them are such lovely lads.”
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
