Adam Wharton hit the Amex Stadium turf in frustration.
He was three days shy of his 20th birthday, making his Premier League debut and, having spent just six minutes on the pitch, the brutal reality of Premier League football had just hit him.
Taking too much time on the ball, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pascal Gross took advantage and stole possession from Wharton. Moments later, Facundo Buonanotte scored and Brighton led 3-0, with the match effectively over.
Wharton’s anger at himself was evident. It was Palace’s most painful afternoon of the season – they ultimately succumbed 4-1 to their bitter rivals, with under-pressure manager Roy Hodgson taunted relentlessly by the home crowd – and Wharton’s first appearance Couldn’t have been much more grueling.
But the youngster felt no sense of failure. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to learn. Moments after making that mistake, he claimed the ball again from the Palace defense, turning, carrying it forward and driving his team forward up the pitch.
Wharton had learned that in the Premier League there was not the same time and space as in the Championship, where he had spent two seasons with Blackburn Rovers before joining Palace in January on a contract worth up to £22 million ($27 million). including add-ons.
Wharton has started every game since the Brighton defeat and now looks like a Premier League player, always looking to be proactive with his passing. Athleticism spoke to someone who knows Wharton well, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their relationship, who said Wharton viewed a back pass as a failure.
His former manager at Blackburn, Jon Dahl Tomasson, agrees. “I don’t want sideways or backwards passes, we have to score goals and entertain,” he says. “If you play too sideways and backwards, it’s too slow and not entertaining. He is one of those players who plays forward passes and has an impact on the game.
Wharton’s forward-thinking outlook suggests he has a similar mindset to Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who also prefers not to dwell on the past.
Wharton, originally from Salesbury in Lancashire, northwest England, had to adapt to life in London. It’s easy to forget that he is not just a young footballer but a young man still learning life skills. For example, Wharton just now has to cook for himself. This too can make things even more difficult, but few things seem to faze him.
Even when facing Premier League champions Manchester City, a game in which he notched an assist for Palace’s opening goal, or title-chasing Liverpool at Anfield last Sunday, he stood up to be counted at Midfielder.
Despite his stiff frame and the intensifying intensity of the Premier League, it was the mental strain that he found most taxing. Wharton realized that elite players must commit to a decision quickly because of the lack of time opponents have. The discipline required can be as exhausting as the physical energy expended. This is not problematic, but it still requires acclimatization.
Wharton has been immersed in sports his entire life. As well as playing for England Schoolboys, he spent many of his formative years watching his father, John, play for Salesbury Cricket Club. Wharton’s older brother Scott – who Adam played with at Blackburn – also played at Salesbury, while his mother, Helen, is a PE teacher. There is no doubt that some of the qualities he demonstrated will have been influenced by this journey.
Although Scott and his younger brother Simon, who works as a carpenter and plays outside the league, are players, Wharton is his own person. He doesn’t seek any specific advice from his siblings beyond what would come naturally in conversation. Experience of high-level football is sufficient.
Wharton’s confidence is evident in the way he talks about his own game.
“Everything is getting better,” he said after Palace’s 1-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday. “My aggression out of possession, on the ball, off the ball. The more I play, the more it will only get better.
“I never really come away from a match satisfied. There are always parts in my game and moments where I can do better. Nobody is perfect. I look at the positives but I always try to look at the moments where I can do better. I feel like I’m improving every game and I feel good.
“I played more minutes than I thought I would. This is definitely a step forward. You need to step up your efforts or you will be found out and won’t play again. But it seems I did well – I’m still playing.
Wharton speaks with confidence, but there is also a certain humility about him. Representation with England at youth level has been a welcome reward for his progress, first in the North West and now in London with Palace. England’s Under-21 debut arrived in March, but his focus is mainly on ensuring his promising debut at domestic level continues.
“There will be no international break before the end of the season,” he said. “So for the next six weeks I will be all Crystal Palace. I just want to do my best for the team. Any international recognition is just a bonus. That’s not really on my mind right now. I just try to play the best I can and help the team.
He quickly became essential at the Palace. His passing ability and positive intent means a lot of their attacking play comes through him. Since his debut on February 3, no Palace player has been involved in more sequences leading to shots per game, suggesting he is crucial in creating chance.
He averages 2.1 progressive passes per game (using Athleticism definition, a pass that brings the ball at least 25 percent closer to the center of the opponent’s goal), which illustrates his ability to pass through the lines and move Palace up the pitch.
This was particularly evident in the way he played a perfect ball for Jean-Philippe Mateta to rush in and score in Palace’s defeat to Manchester City last month. This was demonstrated in the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest in March in which he played a pass from halfway to cut through the Forest defense and gift Eberechi Eze a glorious chance which was saved by Matz Sels. There are other examples, but his vision and execution match his ambition.
“Adam learned very quickly playing with the youngsters,” explains Tomasson, currently manager of Sweden. “You immediately saw his quality with the ball – it’s Champions League level. Being able to play forward is a quality you need in the Premier League if you want to make an impact on the game.
“He’s made for bigger things.” He has a very clear idea of what he wants to do: he wants to go to the top. When you can play in the Championship at this age, especially in his second season where he played every match, you improve.
“You can always improve. Adam has this mindset to become the best Adam Wharton. He’s a great player to watch and a joy to watch. He is silent but he knows what he wants.
His penchant for challenge has not gone unnoticed either. Only Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell have made more tackles since his arrival, while he is just behind Munoz in true tackles per 1000 touches.
True tackles are a combination of tackles won, tackles lost and fouls committed. He has a true tackle success rate of 53.1 percent, which, while not particularly high, is influenced by the number of fouls he commits (there have been nine in 10 appearances). This demonstrates his decisiveness and tenacity.
It was Wharton’s smooth, crisp interaction with those passes that stood out as much as his willingness to take on challenges. He plays with a fearlessness and cool head that has earned him widespread praise – Sky TV pundit and former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp said he was his man of the match against Liverpool.
Wharton will have to continue working to develop physically and become more robust, but Glasner, who doesn’t give individual praise lightly, is pleased with his development.
“He’s doing well,” Glasner said. “He creates good moments, especially with his passes and his pre-orientation, he can resolve many situations where he is under pressure. Concerning his dynamics, his intensity in duels he can improve.
“That’s what we’re working on with him, just keeping his threats and putting him in situations where he can pass and he’s finding it more and more.
“He has a very important defensive role to win duels and be ready for the second ball. In the Premier League, it’s a little faster than in the Championship but he learns very quickly.
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He has already become another league success story for Palace’s recruitment team, following Eze, Michael Olise and Marc Guehi, and has launched into the Premier League better than anyone expected.
A desire to learn, an excellent attitude and work ethic combined with his technical quality have all combined to produce rapid progress. There is undoubtedly more to come.
“I believe he can and will play for England,” says Tomasson. “If you are at Champions League level with the ball you have to play Champions League football all the time and I think he will do that.”
(Top photo: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)