The next Adam Wharton is coming to Liverpool, and he's special | OneFootball

The next Adam Wharton is at Liverpool and he will be coming to join the club's first-team soon.

Who doesn't love the Crystal Palace midfielder?

He’s a throwback to an era of old. The low socks, Adidas Predators, and a footballing intelligence that puts him ahead of everyone else on the pitch. He is what most people fall in love with while watching the game.

In many ways, Wharton evokes memories of a prime Thiago Alcântara. His game reading is exceptional, his first touch immaculate, and his line-breaking passes consistently create an advantage for his team.

In order to replacement Trent Alexander-Arnold, there is no denying that Wharton would be the ideal choice.

At the moment, there’s arguably no one in the Premier League who combines the qualities Alexander-Arnold had than Wharton. It’s why he’s already an England international and why so many Liverpool fans have him on their wishlist.

But here's an exciting caveat: Liverpool fans don't need to wait long for the next Wharton, he's already at the club and he will be with the first-team soon.

Let us introduce you to U18 midfielder Haydn Murray-Holme, who might just be the biggest gem hiding away in Liverpool's academy right now.

Like Wharton, Murray-Holme is a touch of old-school, but there's an element of modernity about him as well. He's an elegant midfielder with sublime technical qualities and the awareness to pick out a pass from anywhere.

Murray-Holme's vision and scanning on the pitch is akin to that of Wharton. As is his distribution.

He has one goal and five assists in 23 appearances so far for the club's U18 and U19 side this season. Those are decent numbers for a midfielder player but what are even more impressive are his underlying figures.

First of all, Murray-Holme is a player who reads the game astutely and he can contribute in the defensive side of the game as a midfielder.

This season he has made 4.91 recoveries per 90 minutes in the opposition's half, which is a very impressive return. He's won 63.4% of his 6.63 defensive duels per 90 while averaging 3.27 interceptions per 90 minutes.

But it's in possession where the midfielder really thrives.

On the ball, he is one of a kind - the most technical player the academy has produced since Alexander-Arnold.

Murray-Holme has a sublime first-touch and he can wrap his foot around the ball to execute a number of different passes, from audacious through balls with the outside of his foot to long and extremely precise long balls over the top of opposition defenders.

In a lot of ways Murray-Holme is very similar to Wharton. He's an extremely effective player at breaking lines. And he becomes a cheat-code who can unlock any defence, putting teams on the backfoot.

He has averaged the most progressive passes (12.5 per 90 minutes) among midfielders in the U18 Premier League. He's averaged the third most passes into the opposition's final third (13.56 per 90 minutes).

He's already been promoted to play for the U21 team in a friendly, and given the qualities he has and what Liverpool need, it won't be long until Murray-Holme joins Liverpool's first-team.

In the process, the Reds will have their very own version of Wharton. Remember the name.