Why it may be time for Gareth Southgate to play his England wildcard at Euro 2024
GARETH SOUTHGATE knows something needs to change to turn England around.
Four points after two group games is a positive – but the performances have been unbalanced, largely stale and a concern.
The midfield must change. England look tired and short on ideas and miles off the more impressive sides at Euro 2024 so far – namely Spain and Germany.
Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s secondment to midfield will come to an end – but there are no obvious answers when it comes to re-balancing the middle of the park.
Southgate’s first alternative so far, Conor Gallagher, brings energy but lacks the technical quality for England to dominate possession.
Gallagher’s intense presence can add to the feeling that England are not in control of games. They need assurances.
Adam Wharton, the Crystal Palace midfielder, did not have a single Three Lions cap before being called up for this tournament.
When he made the move to Palace from Championship side Blackburn in January he would not have been expecting to spend his summer in Germany.
But now Southgate may see him as the answer.
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The Rise of Adam Wharton
By Jack Rosser
TOP level football has been like a stroll in the park for Adam Wharton so far.
The 20-year-old cruised into the Premier League with Crystal Palace after they snatched him up from Blackburn in a £22.5million transfer in January and has since hit the ground running for England.
And just 16 league games later, Wharton is already drawing the attention of European giants Bayern Munich, who want to spend £60m on him.
A strong England display against Bosnia and Herzegovina gave the uninitiated a glimpse into what has the Eagles faithful squawking over him in south London.
Despite only coming on as a 62nd-minute sub, Wharton completed 37 successful passes, making him the first midfielder to attempt 30-plus passes and complete every single one on his England debut.
Even the man himself has been left stunned by his meteoric rise.
In an interview with SunSport, Wharton said: “I definitely didn’t think it would go as well as it has.
“I thought maybe I’d get a few appearances here and there because it is a big step up.
“You don’t know what is going to happen with a new team, new environment but the lads were great as soon as I came in.”
Yet to those who watched him growing up, it is par for the course.
Wharton’s nonchalant style had teachers at Moorland, the private school where Blackburn send players, comparing him to Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle – before he earned the nickname “Messi”.
Charlie Jackson, who taught Wharton at Moorland having previously worked with United star Scott McTominay, told SunSport: “All our sessions were pass and move and he’d jump all over them, it was meat and drink for him.
“He creates but sees the game, it’s like he has a crystal ball.
“When I played him for school, you wouldn’t see him for 20 minutes in the game – he’d just go missing – and then all of a sudden you’d see a pass which is Maradona-esque.
“Then he’s on it again and gets man of the match.”
Being small early on helped mould a technically gifted player before having a massive growth spurt.
Darragh Tuffy, who coached Wharton as a youth player at Blackburn, told SunSport: “He was always the smallest player in his age group coming through, a real late developer physically.
“In games that was never a problem for him. He was always able to stand out with his technical attributes which he still does now. He didn’t hit his growth spurt until 17.
“We knew he was going to come through that and as long as he carried on doing what he was good at we were going to have a really good footballer on our hands.”
And now paired with his towering figure and laid-back demeanour, it has created a recipe for an eye-catching midfielder with a complete arsenal to dominate any midfield battle.
Yet it is not just his technical and physical ability that has split him from his peers, but also a hardwired mentality to brush off criticism.
Wharton’s first game in England’s top flight was far from ideal, giving the ball away before Brighton grabbed their third in a 3-0 demolition of the Eagles.
Wharton said: “It wasn’t the best start, definitely. It was always going to happen, you’re never going to play every game perfect.
“I got caught on the ball and then they went on to score from that. It was a moment where you realise to switch on, you can’t spend that much time on the ball, play simple, play fast.
“It was a wake-up call. I knew after that I would be fine. I carried on with the game as usual.
“You can’t let if affect you in a negative way as it’s only going to get worse. I did alright.
“I definitely stepped on from there. It has helped me as much as it was a bad moment at the time. Without that I wouldn’t have learned that lesson.”
His response to the error impressed former boss Roy Hodgson, and since then Palace have witnessed a calm, composed and creative presence in midfield which has blown away new boss Oliver Glasner.
Tuffy added: “All through his age groups he had this weird ability to never be phased by anything.
“I watch him in the Premier League now and he is playing passes that he used to do in training. He doesn’t get phased by pressure, you just can’t teach that.
“He looks like he is in total control of what he is doing, takes the ball under pressure and looks like the calmest man on the pitch.”
An eye for a pass builds into Wharton being bright and intelligent and able to adapt to anything, whether it be moving to London or revising for GCSE’s.
Jackson said: “Oh, he didn’t even have to revise for GCSEs. I use him as an example to the GCSE boys. He was an all-rounder with his head screwed on. Adam could turn himself into anything.
“He lived near British Aerospace with his parents and I used to say he could be a rocket scientist and work there, that is how bright he was.”
His adaptability also helped smooth over his move from sleepy Lancashire to the Big Smoke, even if he rates his own cooking as “bang average”.
Comparing life in the capital compared to the family home, Wharton said: “I was five minutes from the training ground so it was nice and easy.
“Low rent, it was perfect. The rent is a lot more here and the traffic is a lot busier!
“I’ve settled really well. The lads made it easier. It’s a big change, living on my own. Sorting out all the bills, that is a lot of work. I am laid back and relaxed.
“I train, go back. Maybe go for a walk around London, watch football if it’s on – which it is most nights thankfully. Gives me plenty to do.
“I try to cook some food, that is bang average. My speciality… Pasta.
“I’m nothing special but I don’t mind too much. I like what I cook and I’m on my own so I don’t have to worry about anyone else judging me.”
While no one is running the rule over Wharton’s cooking, there have been plenty of eyes on his football, including England boss Gareth Southgate.
Asked about Wharton’s impact in his first senior call-up, a smiling Southgate said: “There is no question he has impressed us. “I’m really pleased.
“He showed in the cameo what we’ve seen in training in the last week and what we’ve seen with his club. “He is a very calm boy. He seems to have taken everything in his stride and when you talk to him, he is unflappable — as he was on the pitch.
“That ability to receive a ball and see a picture early and play it forward, that isn’t something you should underestimate.
“The other players have recognised his quality. There’s a lot still ahead of him.
“Players like Toni Kroos and Luka Modric have been around for a decade and know how to control the rhythm of a game.
“That’s a step beyond where we’re at with Wharton and Mainoo. They’re really tender in their development.
“They’re doing really well and we’re excited about working with them.
“But we’ve got to be realistic about what that’s going to look like in terms of controlling the tempo at the highest possible level — which is also a step none of them have seen.”
Wharton, as many have noted, has not been overwhelmed by any step up in his career so far – but this would be a gamble.
Moving up to the Premier League is challenging, as is an England debut even in a friendly.
But nothing compares to stepping into the white heat of a tournament when the Three Lions are under pressure.
The reaction to Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Denmark has been alarming.
Gary Neville suggested Declan Rice cannot play as a holding midfielder – despite excelling in that role for years with club and country.
Alan Shearer almost wrote Harry Kane‘s England obituary on the BBC. So Wharton would be stepping into quite the cauldron, by far the biggest test for his cool head to date.
But if, as he has done at every step to date, the midfielder can take another step up in his stride, there are plenty of positives to the gamble.
Rice, who has effectively played as the sole defensive midfielder anyway due to Alexander-Arnold’s struggles, would not have to cover so much ground and could look to have an impact further up the pitch.
Wharton does not charge around but reads the game well, is composed on the ball and positive in looking to play forwards.
England have looked shaky in possession so far and something needs to change.
There would still be issues to solve further forwards, bringing in Wharton would mean keeping Phil Foden out on the left were Southgate to stick with the Footballer of the Year.
But any move the manager makes now will be a gamble – so why not roll the dice on Wharton?