Moorland and Wilpshire Wanderers coaches on Adam Wharton

Wharton, 20, spent three years playing for his local club Wilpshire Wanderers before joining the academy at Blackburn Rovers.

He also represented Moorland School in Clitheroe having been part of their football academy.

Since his debut for Rovers in 2022, Wharton has had a rapid rise in his footballing career, and the coaches who nurtured his talents as a youngster have shared stories of how special he was growing up.

Adam Wharton (front row, third from left) lining up with his Moorland teammates (Image: Charlie Jackson)

The midfielder, now at Premier League side Crystal Palace, was a surprise selection as part of England manager Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad for Euro 2024, which is being held in Germany.

He only made his debut for his country earlier this month in a 3-0 friendly win against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Newcastle – just three months after he debuted for the under-21 team against Luxembourg and with only 16 Premier League appearances under his belt.

READ MORE: Wharton family on Adam's rise from Blackburn to England fame

Charlie Jackson, head of the football academy at Moorland, said Wharton had a left foot “like a magic wand.”

He said: “He’s probably one of the most naturally gifted players we’ve ever had at the school.

“Adam is a very laid-back, quiet boy. He’s very intelligent, and very bright academically.

“He was a really small boy. He wasn’t a stand-out in Year 7 but you could see pockets of genius.”

Charlie Jackson, head coach of the football academy at Moorland School (Image: Charlie Jackson)

Wharton is yet to make a start for his country, but given the way he has stepped up to the Premier League just months after his move from Blackburn, there’s certainly clamour for him to do so.

He plays in central midfield, an area England are lacking in options, and could provide an ideal link between holding midfield - expected to be Declan Rice - and the attack where Jude Bellingham is likely to feature.

Other options manager Gareth Southgate has are Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, and Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, who plays right-back at club level.

Charlie continued: “I think he should start, in my opinion. If he was Spanish he’d be in their team.

"As a 20-year-old kid who’d never played in the Premier League, it’s like he’s been at Palace for 10 years.”

Aside from his clear footballing ability, Charlie also heaped praise on Wharton’s character as a person.

READ MORE: Blackburn Rovers team-mate Ayala lifts lid on Adam Wharton

“Adam treated everyone the same,” he said. “There was no ego at all and I think you can see that now.

"I think that’s a big part of his charm, the fact he’s such a nice, well-rounded, lovely lad.

“There’s no arrogance about him, like you see with a lot of footballers who have gone on to be stars. I think Adam will be playing for a long time and he’ll have an illustrious career.”

Asked to provide one final message to Adam, he said: “Go and rip up the script.”

Wharton’s character was something Wilpshire Wanderers chair Steve Frost also highlighted, and recalled one story from just last year.

Adam playing for Wilpshire Wanderers as a boy (Image: Wilpshire Wanderers Facebook/Family)

He said: “This very weekend a year ago he was at our summer fete handing out medals to the five, six, seven and eight-year-olds.

“He’d just been to an engagement at Wigan Athletic but dashed across to here to come to his original home ground.

“He even handed my grandson his medal, which was incredible.”

Steve also recalled the moment Adam made his debut against Bosnia, saying it was a proud moment for the club.

He said: “From a personal point of view, having seen him and his two brothers, and the family being very close, it was a very touching moment for quite a number of us who have been with the club for 20-odd years.

“There was a tear in my eye if I’m honest when he came onto the pitch.

“To think his formative years were with us, we are extremely proud. And it’s an inspiration to all the young players we have here.”

England kick off their Euro 2024 campaign on Sunday (June 16) against Serbia at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, kicking off at 8pm.