Adam Wharton is one of the brightest talents in England right now and now a former coach has explained what he used to do.
Since joining Crystal Palace from Blackburn in January for a now bargain fee of £22m, Adam Wharton has been a revelation in midfield.
The 20-year-old now finds himself on the cusp of a first tournament with England as he prepares to head to Euro 2024 where he stands a very good chance of featuring after an impressive debut against Bosnia on Monday for Gareth Southgate‘s side.
Wharton has received countless plaudits over the past few months and it’s exactly what he deserves. But now he’s been handed arguably the biggest comparison yet by a former coach.
Here’s what he said…
Adam Wharton has “Maradona-esque” qualities
In a feature by The Sun, Wharton has been lauded and compared with some intriguing names. One of which is a player widely regarded as the best ever, along with a few others.
One of Wharton’s childhood coaches Charlie Jackson, who taught the midfielder at Moorland with Scott McTominay being a former pupil, had some interesting praise for Wharton.
“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 [Diego] Maradona-esque.
“Then he’s on it again and gets man of the match.”
In the article, it’s also stated that he earned the nickname “Messi” when he was younger as well, after Lionel for his nonchalant style and excellence on the ball.
Easy to see why Wharton would be so highly regarded
Anyone with eyes can see why Wharton is held under such regard by anyone who has worked with him, as he’s now showing not only the entire country but the continent.
Despite only arriving six months ago, Wharton’s price tag has tripled and Bayern Munich hold a reported interest in what would be a deal worth at least £60m.
Not only this but now the champions of England are also said to have a ‘long-term’ interest in Wharton, with the club viewing him as a successor to Rodri.
Wharton’s star looks destined to continue rising and we can’t wait to see the heights he reaches in his career.
