Blackburn Rovers: Broughton on Wharton Crystal Palace move

The young midfielder made a permanent switch to Selhurst Park in the January window, bringing in a “club record fee” to Ewood Park.

Wharton has already made six appearances for the Eagles in the Premier League, including five starts.

“First of all, you have to give great credit to the player because of his dedication and hard work over the last 10 to 15 years,” Broughton told Training Ground Guru.

“You also have to give great credit to our Academy staff, present and those who worked with Adam in the past.

“The final one, this group often come in for criticism, but his representatives approached the whole thing in a sensible way.

“They realised that talent never fulfils its potential without opportunity and they understood that opportunity was here at Blackburn Rovers.

“Before my time, I understand there were numerous opportunities where clubs were approaching Blackburn Rovers for Adam’s services and he realised that his long-term potential would be better fulfilled coming through the process here.”

The 19-year-old progressed through Rovers’ Academy ranks and made his senior debut at the start of last season.

“We have tried to build a process which allowed him to come into our first-team group,” Broughton continued.

“How do you do that? You keep the squad nice and small because if you have got a 28-man squad, the manager is always going to feel obliged to put those senior players on the bench.

“Then you employ a way of playing that allows young players to express themselves and showcase their talent.

Wharton has already made five starts in the Premier League (Image: PA)

“Probably the most important part, you employ a head coach who buys into that process and is brave enough to give young players an opportunity.

“We did two contract renewals in a very short period of time. That means both parties go into transfer windows with their eyes wide open, knowing what might happen.

“The situation accelerated very quickly with Crystal Palace in January and in 72 hours, it had gone from an offer we felt was nowhere near acceptable to one we had to have a serious conversation about.”

The Rovers director of football admits Wharton’s talent is “irreplaceable” and believes the youngster will go a long way in the game.

“The club was united, they wanted to keep him until the summer and maybe even beyond that,” he explained.

“But equally, when the (offer) comes in which we felt matched our valuation of the player, you have to be open to let the player make that decision.

“Adam is irreplaceable in terms of his talent, that is why a Premier League club was willing to pay such a large amount of money.

“He is brave in possession, seeks the ball under pressure, can play forward, create opportunities and play key passes. He really worked hard on the defensive part of his game over the past 12 months as well.

“He is a terrific footballer and I think part of the thinking was, ‘If you go in now and a managerial change happens, the (new) manager comes in with you already in the building’.

“That gives you a great advantage and it is no coincidence he has started every game under the new manager.”

The midfielder’s departure has given opportunities to the likes of John Buckley and Jake Garrett in recent weeks.

“I don’t think you can sell a player for the amount of money we sold Adam for and have it not affect the team straight away.

“We have got really good midfielders in the building though, they have adjusted well to the new head coach,” Broughton stated.

“Now, the question we have to ask to the Academy is who is the next one who will come and replace him?

“Secondly, we have to ask the board of directors how we are going to invest that money over the next 12 months to improve the club.”

The financial impact of Wharton’s move has been a major talking point in recent weeks amid the Venky’s situation in India.

“My recommendation to the board is there are four areas we have to look to reinvest in. First on the list is transfer fees,” Broughton added.

“Secondly, it is no good having transfer fees if you cannot pay the wages of those players. You can build a three-year plan to have a more competitive wage structure at the top end of the Championship.

“Thirdly, investing back into the Academy and the infrastructure of the club. And fourth, don’t blow it all at once.

“You cannot predict rocky moments in football or in life so have some put to the side if we need to reinvest in January, next summer or even between those periods.”