When Wharton was selected for England’s Euro 2024 squad, manager Gareth Southgate said the midfielder was the type of player the Three Lions had missed “for seven or eight years”, and praised his forward-thinking game.
“[It’s] just the way I play football,” says Wharton. “When I was younger I used to play as more of a 10 – more of an attacking midfielder – so I probably know how you play that position.
“But if I have got the ball and the striker is an option then I’m going to pass to him as he’s the one that scores the goals.
“If I can pass it forward to a player that can be effective, score goals, create chances, get assists then I don’t see why I shouldn’t pass it to them.
“I’m not going to dribble through five people and put it in the top corner, that’s just not my game.”
The former Blackburn Rovers player was in the England Under-21s squad for the recent international break, but trained with the senior squad under new England manager Thomas Tuchel, who has been a frequent visitor at Selhurst Park to watch Palace.
“It is obviously good to be involved with the senior team. It’s good to try and leave an impression and train with the best players in the world,” says Wharton.
“He [Tuchel] was speaking to me more in general, just about how it has been coming back from injury and things like this. It was good to be there but now I’m just focusing on playing more games and helping the team.”
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