'Champions League' player Adam Wharton ready to gatecrash England's Euros squad

There’s usually at least one player who comes up on the rails to bag an unexpected spot in the England squad for a major tournament.

Adam Wharton could be that man after a superb start to his Crystal Palace career. The midfielder was still playing for Blackburn in the Championship in late January, when the Eagles signed the then 19-year-old in a deal which could reach £22million, including adds-ons.

At that stage, there was a real chance that the youngster would be making a swift return to the second tier, with Palace in danger of being drawn into a relegation battle under Roy Hodgson, who stepped down in February after falling ill at the club’s training ground.

But the appointment of Oliver Glasner as Hodgson’s replacement has proved inspired, with Palace cruising to safety and picking up some notable scalps along the way, including the 4-0 demolition of Manchester United on Monday.

Wharton proved why he has become such a key player for the Austrian with a towering display against United which saw him get the better of another Euros hopeful, Kobbie Mainoo

Despite his tender years, Wharton has emerged as a leader of the team too. At half-time against United, he was seen talking with Jean-Philippe Mateta and appeared to give the experienced forward a number of instructions.

“Second half was an excellent performance,” Glasner said of Wharton. “It shows his mentality and character that a 20-year-old guy talks to JP Mateta, but also on the other side that JP is listening to him. This is the environment that I really like as a manager.”

Despite his shortage of experience, Wharton already looks at home on the big stage, which bodes well for his hopes of making the plane the Germany. He also impressed in Palace’s surprise 1-0 win at