It feels strange to type that Adam Wharton only has one England cap to his name so far.
The Crystal Palace No.20 has been a sensation ever since his £18m move from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024 – making the England squad for UEFA Euro 2024 just six months after that switch and continuing to shine in the Premier League ever since.
Adam Wharton – however – is yet to cement a place in the England side, due to a combination of injuries and poor timing. In the meantime, it appears Elliot Anderson is slowly moving above him in the pecking order.
Adam Wharton may feel a tinge of jealousy as Elliot Anderson stars in the No.6 role
The Blackburn Rovers academy graduate was forced to withdraw from this round of international fixtures, after suffering an adductor injury during the 3-0 win at Villa Park.
MORE PALACE STORIES
It led Thomas Tuchel to hand Anderson 180 minutes of action in victories over Andorra and Serbia in the absence of another playmaker to select, and the Nottingham Forest No.8 was instrumental.
The Newcastle United academy graduate completed 182 passes in his first two England appearances – 107 against Andorra and 75 in Serbia.
Since Opta began collecting data for international fixtures in August 2008, these 182 passes from Anderson are the most made by an England midfielder in their first two caps.
The 22-year-old has also been named Man of the Match in both of these games.
1 – Across England's last two games, Elliot Anderson ranks first for:
Successful Passes (182)
Passes in the Final Third (66)
Forward Passes (48)
Possession Won (23)
Duels Won (14)
Aerial Duels Won (7)
Tackles (5)
Talent. pic.twitter.com/nm4vgfKqXr
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 9, 2025
View Tweet
Wharton, who needed groin surgery in 2024, does not feel like the type of person to kick up a fuss and allow himself to become angered by this situation – hopefully, he can instead use the emergence of Anderson as motivation.
However, it is hard to escape the feeling that niggling injuries now mean he has an even harder task to impress Tuchel and get into the starting XI for England, ahead of the FIFA World Cup next summer.
Christantus Uche could help Adam Wharton on the international scene
These niggling injuries are not helped by the fact Oliver Glasner lacks options in central midfield, and usually has to play Wharton – who Manchester City admire – more than he may want to.
However, the £17m arrival of Christantus Uche from Getafe on transfer deadline day should see the 21-year-old afforded more rest.
The Nigeria international can play in central midfield, attacking midfield or even as a striker, and can be another option for Glasner while Cheick Doucoure continues his recovery from a knee injury.
If Uche can make a strong start, it will hopefully mean Wharton is afforded more rest and can finally shake off his injury problems.