Adam Wharton faces one of the longest weeks of his life.
With the core group already in Thomas Tuchel’s mind for the World Cup this summer, Wharton has an anxious wait to learn whether he has been granted a supporting role in the England squad.
Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice have cemented themselves as Tuchel’s preferred midfield pair, with the England manager opting for physicality since taking the role in January 2025. Their boarding passes have already been printed.
But the German still faces a conundrum over who will play understudy. Sources were unwilling to commit either way, but described the decision as a close call.
Wharton is competing with Alex Scott, James Garner, Kobbie Mainoo and Jordan Henderson for a place on the plane.
Tuchel is likely to take Henderson for his experience. Mainoo offers a profile similar to Rice and Anderson, while Garner has been operating in a more advanced role. Wharton still plays in a pivot while providing something different stylistically and that variety is what England need.
The Crystal Palace midfielder, who scored his first Premier League goal against Brentford on Sunday, is an outlier. England lack progressive midfielders within the talent pool. They have very few players who can open a game up with one pass. Wharton has that idiosyncratic ability.
“Every manager has a different view on what they want from a central midfielder,” said Palace boss Oliver Glasner as he advocated for Wharton to go to the World Cup. “I don’t know exactly what Thomas Tuchel wants. He’s played most of the time with Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, maybe a little bit more physical, more dynamic and more box-to-box.
“On the other side, if he wants somebody to accelerate the game, that is what Adam can do. If nobody sees a free player on the pitch, Adam sees him and finds him. With his one-touch passes and line-breaking passes, I think he’s one of the best – not just in England, but in the world. If you want this kind of quality, you pick Adam.”
Among the 10 midfielders who have featured for England since Tuchel took the job, Wharton has completed the most through-balls and the fewest backward passes per 90 minutes. He sits deep and controls games; spotting where a single threaded pass can put his team on the front foot. He is constantly scanning, ensuring he is immediately ready to find a pass into the channels or beyond the defence.
For Palace, there is a noticeable difference in their effectiveness without Wharton. Whenever the former Blackburn man has been absent, they find it difficult to progress the ball because of his ingenuity in possession. The influence he consistently has on Premier League games is profound.
In cagey games where England are struggling for a breakthrough and unable to break down their opposition, Wharton has the craft to breach defences. It makes him a handy alternative, particularly in the United States, where the intense heat will force Tuchel to rely on the depth of his squad.
This will be an attritional tournament, with scorching temperatures forcing to play lower-tempo football. The intensity of pressing will be determined by the heat. England will need a line-breaking passer, which Wharton excels at. He has produced seven assists this season, increasing his tally of two from last season. Meanwhile, he averages 1.6 chances created per 90 with an even greater influence on shot-creating actions.
Anderson is a more complete midfielder than deep-lying playmaker Wharton, which is why he will start. But the Palace player’s ball progression in possession is what sets him apart. Without the ball, Wharton has improved this season, but he still falls behind the rest – especially with poor timing in tackles. It is a significant factor that prevents him from starting for England, with Tuchel concerned about his lack of strength.
He is more than a progressive passer, though. Another string to his bow is his coolness, whether that is with the ball or his general demeanour. Nothing seems to bother him. He is a quiet character, but that allows him to focus on his game with little fuss.
His minutes in an England shirt have been sporadic, albeit he has been in the last two squads. In 2024, he was in Gareth Southgate’s squad that reached the final of the European Championship, but he did not feature in Germany. He has made just three appearances for the Three Lions since, with his most substantial minutes coming in a 2-0 World Cup qualifier win over Albania in November, where he partnered Rice in midfield. During the last break, he played 45 minutes in an experimental side.
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This could be the biggest summer of Wharton’s career. With the Conference League final coming up next week for Palace, he could end the season as a European trophy winner before representing his country at the World Cup.
There is also a major decision to make over his future, and missing out on the England squad could influence any choice to leave Selhurst Park. Equally, if he were to go to the tournament and impress, it would further elevate interest in him.
Regardless, as Tuchel mulls over his midfield options, Wharton’s ability to create something from nothing offers England a quality they otherwise lack.
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