From Championship to Eurocup in five months: “It’s surreal”

Adam Wharton This is a special case of the English team. In January, he was playing in the Championship -English Second Division- defending the team’s shirt. Blackburn Rovers; In February, at the age of 20, he made the leap to the Premier League: he signed for Crystal palace for around 19 million euros and reached one of the best leagues in the world. And, after competing for several months in the highest category of British football, he received the call from Gareth Southgate.

His U-21 debut, in March

Now Wharton live in a cloud He is one of 26 selected by his coach to play in a European Championship where he has high expectations. The Blackburn pivot won’t have an important role except as a surprise, but his progress in just half a year is remarkable: from making his U-21 debut in March, he has reached the senior team to debut with a lot of popularity against Bosnia more than a week ago. He got on the field with half an hour to spare and got a seat on the plane to Germany.

That day was recorded in the memory of the whole family of Adamwho enjoyed the debut of a boy who left his father, John Whartonspeechless when he appeared on the pitch as a substitute Kieran Trippier. “It was a great experience, I was quite excited when he came out on the field. It was a good day overall. In the last few days with the team he sat down to have breakfast with Harry Kane and spoke to Declan Rice . He seems cheerful,” he said to a radio station BBC of Lancashire.

Just nine days after his dream debut, Wharton He spoke to the media for the first time as a player for the senior English team. And, the first thing he did was describe his call to play in Germany as “surreal.”

“I am very glad”

“The truth is I didn’t expect it. Obviously, I’ve only just arrived in the Premier League, so it’s a kind of reward if they call me. But I’m very happy. I can do what I want with the elite and there’s nothing better, ” he says.

“For me everything is very fast. I don’t think about it too much, for me it is football. I have enjoyed the last few months a lot and I just want to continue playing and improving,” he added.

England will debut in the Eurocup against Serbia and Wharton did not shrink from the possibility of playing his first official match in the shirt of the British national team: “The coach will choose the team. Obviously, there are incredible players. If they choose me to play, I will be more than ready. But whoever is on the field, I’m sure he will take a step forward and help the team achieve the result we want.

Wharton, born in Blackburn just two decades ago, summarizes the last two years of his life and reminisces about his childhood. “The truth is it’s hard. It’s a dream come true. All kids who grow up playing football want to play in the Premier League and for their country. At first I played for the team I was a fan of, and I I enjoyed it a lot. Then I went to the Premier League and now I’m here very quickly, but I don’t want to change it any other way,” he explained.

The midfielder of Crystal palace He closed his first media appearance with a few words Southgate. He revealed that after confronting BosniaHis coach congratulated him and told him to keep improving.

“I will try my best to impress him throughout the week and when I get the chance.” And this is how the very young English player ended his press conference: with the same self-confidence with which he arrived in the England team. From almost nothing to absolutely everything in just five months. Surreal, as he himself said Wharton.