Wharton 'a throwback' and 'unique footballer'

There is still an internal battle among Crystal Palace fans over games like Saturday against Wolves. This was a game that had to be won against a lesser opponent, but that is still an unfamiliar position to be in. At 0-0 at half-time, it is easy to understand the underlying anxiety that the match would go in a frustrating direction, as many have before.

That fear was unfounded, thanks to goals from Daniel Munoz and the impressive Yeremy Pino. However, in the centre of the pitch, a protostar was pulling the strings.

It is clear that goals and assists still dominate the basic analysis of player performances. Whether that is a fantasy football-influenced situation, it is the sole critique anyone could hold over Adam Wharton.

So, in a week where he finally made his full competitive debut for England, and a well-deserved one at that, it was additionally pleasing for his name to appear in the assist column. Often, the central pairing in an Oliver Glasner team is involved in the scoring but a step or two back in the action.

The elite academies in England still favour the biggest, strongest or fastest athletes, none of the boxes that Wharton necessarily ticks. His journey with his boyhood team, Blackburn Rovers, to a lesser Premier League side has allowed him to grow and develop his own style, built on vision, anticipation and an incredibly mature understanding of the game.

To use a heavily Ashes-influenced analogy, Wharton feels like a throwback, a technical and cerebral batsman suited to Test matches, in an era fixated on power-hitting and Twenty20.

So, that makes him feel like a unique footballer, paired with a manager who isn't obsessed with systematic play or ball retention, Wharton has the platform to play aggressively and pass expansively with freedom – a perfect combination.

Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast