Adam Wharton is benefiting from his performance in training, according to Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Wharton made only a second start of 2023 and lit up the first half of Rovers’ draw with Coventry City.

The teenager operated in a deep midfield role but dictated the play as Rovers dominated.

His inclusion was one of three changes made for the game by Tomasson, with the Academy graduate having been left out against Hull City despite impressing against Huddersfield Town.

Tomasson had suggested that call was down to his work off the ball requiring improvement, but the 19-year-old was back in from the start against the Sky Blues as Tyler Morton dropped out.

He was named as the sponsors’ man of the match and left the pitch to a standing ovation in the 84th minute.

Tomasson had previously called for Wharton to do more in training to push his claim for a starting spot, and feels he has seen more of that in recent weeks.

“He did very well. I wanted to control the game and he is very good on the ball, he did that excellent,” Tomasson said.

“I said that the boy has extremely good quality and he’s also training well now.

“That’s also a development as a player, when you have a bit of a taste of it keep on training well, wanting more and he’s doing that at the moment.

“Putting him in that position could be risky but sometimes you make those decisions because I want to win the game.

“I know that’s a situation where you can lose it but he dealt well with the task very well.”

The majority of Wharton’s previous starts had come when operating as part of a three-man central midfield.

Yet his role against the Sky Blues was to play in the holding role and look to pick up possession where possible.

He showed his calmness on the ball, willing to receive it in tight areas, but also his ability to find space which allowed Rovers to build from the back.

It was a real responsibility placed upon his shoulders, not least given Tomasson’s comments after the Hull City stalemate that he needed to work more on the defensive side of his game.

“Football is about different functions, you need to be good on the ball, win balls, that’s also part of football, defend, follow runs and all of those things,” Tomasson added.

“He’s learning that and he’s doing that better now.”