Blackburn Rovers: Sam Szmodics on Adam Wharton potential

The midfielder has been a key member of Jon Dahl Tomasson’s squad this season, earning plaudits for his quality on the ball.

He has also been gaining recognition on the international stage, making his England Under-20 debut last month.

Szmodics has got to witness Wharton’s ability first-hand and can’t help but be impressed with the Academy graduate.

As one of the more experienced members of the Rovers squad, Szmodics is excited by the number of promising youngsters at Ewood Park.

“I think you just have to look at the ages of the lads and how well we are doing,” he said. “Adam Wharton, everyone knows how good of a player he is.

“Last year, he was getting sniffs here and there and this year he has come in and sort of made the position his own.

“He is probably the best youngster I have seen at any team I’ve played for. He is still so young and level-headed. I believe he can go all the way to the top if he stays grounded, which he is.

Harry Leonard has made his mark in the first team this season (Image: Camerasport)

“It speaks volume to the Academy here that you have lads like Harry Leonard and Jake Garrett. They are still 20 or 21 but playing in the men’s environment week in, week out and doing well.

“The Championship is a tough league and some of the performances we have put in this season have probably deserved better results.”

While Saturday’s defeat at Sheffield Wednesday was a blow, Szmodics still has plenty of belief in the Rovers squad.

Tomasson’s men currently sit seventh in the Championship table - a couple of points off the top six - as they aim to build on last season’s seventh-place finish which was their best in a decade since dropping out of the top flight.

Szmodics reckons there have been positives to take from the season so far but is eager to find more consistency during the busy December period, with six games still to play before the end of the year.

“It is difficult when you’ve lost a game and the opposing manager says how well we’ve played, it’s tough to hear,” he continued.

“The Leicester manager came out and said we were one of the best teams he had played against and we actually lost the game 4-1. I would take a poor performance if it means three point.

“Ultimately, it is about getting points on the board and I believe we can go that one step further this season. There is still a long way to go and it is just about getting that consistency to kick on.”

The 28-year-old continued his prolific form against the Owls, scoring his 14th goal of the campaign.

He is still leading the race for the Championship Golden Boot, two goals clear of former Rovers man Adam Armstrong at this stage. Sunderland’s Jack Clarke is the only other player in the division to have reached double figures.