Gareth Southgate has refused to rule out Adam Wharton gatecrashing his England squad for this summer’s Euros.
Wharton, 20, made an impressive cameo appearance on his debut as a second half substitute in England’s 3-0 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina at St James’ Park.
Southgate picks his final 26-man squad on Friday (June 7), before making it public the following day. And if he decides to take a gamble on the midfielder, it would cap an astonishing rise to stardom for someone who only made his Premier League debut in February after joining Crystal Palace from Blackburn in a £22m deal.
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Southgate believes Wharton has a massive future at the highest level. He said: “We’re really pleased with what he has done, in terms of the importance of catching the eye.
“I guess a lot of that comes down to where we think we will need the positional cover, but I’m really impressed with how he has been. He is a very calm boy, he seems to have taken everything in his stride when you think of what the last year has been like for him.
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“But when you talk to him, he is just pretty unflappable, like he was on the pitch. That ability to receive and see a picture early isn’t something you should underestimate.”
Wharton now faces an anxious wait to see if he makes the final cut. The likes of Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, Brentford forward Ivan Toney, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, and the Liverpool trio of defenders Joe Gomez and Jarrell Quansah, plus midfielder Curtis Jones, are most at risk of being left out.