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England fans have praised the performance of one star after their 3-0 win over Bosnia and insisted he should be included in Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad for Euro 2024.
The Three Lions played their penultimate pre-tournament warm-up match on Monday evening and despite a somewhat flat performance they still ran out comfortable winners.
Goals from Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane made the difference, but one player in particular caught the fans’ attention.
Southgate had named a much-changed team for the match and midway through the second half he introduced several new faces.
This included Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, who came on in the 62nd minute to make his international debut.
England fans have insisted one player should be on a plane to Germany for Euro 2024
Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton came off the bench against Bosnia and impressed
Gareth Southgate was effusive in his praise for Wharton, praising his ‘quality on the ball’
During his 28 minutes on the pitch, Wharton excelled as he completed all 36 passes, while also creating two chances.
The 20-year-old has had a stunning impact since moving from Blackburn to Selhurst Park in January, earning his first England call-up in Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad for the 2024 European Championship.
Many thought he would be one of the seven stars left out as the Three Lions boss cuts his squad to 26, but several fans cheered the midfielder on, claiming he should simply be part of the England squad in Germany.
One said: ‘Adam Wharton MUST be on that plane to the Euro. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.’
Meanwhile, another supporter said: ‘Adam Wharton played 30 minutes for England tonight and completed 100 percent of his passes (36/36), created two big chances and made five passes into the final third. This boy MUST be on the plane to Germany.’
Another fan added: ‘Adam Wharton is such a rare breed of English footballer. There is hardly anyone like him.’
An extra joked: ‘Adam Wharton’s speed of thought and passing, two-footedness and energy level are such a breath of fresh air and so unique to this England squad. The plane shouldn’t be a question, it will be hard not to start it.”
Southgate was also effusive in his praise when discussing Wharton’s performance after the match.
He said, “I like what Adam Wharton did with us in the first few days.
“It’s a big step up from where he was at the start of the season, but I like him seeing snaps early and playing forward.
‘It’s clear he has quality on the ball, but the ability to receive the ball and play it forward has caught our attention.’
After playing for England for the first time, Wharton described his joy when he said on X: “A dream come true to make my debut for my country.”
Wharton has had a stunning impact since moving from Blackburn to Crystal Palace in January
Several fans took to social media to praise Wharton and urged him to be in the final roster
Wharton has enjoyed a dramatic rise over the past 12 months in what is his first full season at the professional level.
The midfielder did not make his debut for Blackburn until the start of the 2022/2023 season and made just 18 league appearances as he adapted to the demands of Championship football.
But he excelled for Rovers in the first half of this season before lighting up the Premier League following his move to Crystal Palace.
Such has been his impact at Selhurst Park that Wharton has even been linked with a move to Bayern Munich this summer and he hopes to make his case for England again in Friday’s friendly against Iceland at Wembley.