Crystal Palace midfielder backed to play in Champions League | OneFootball

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has backed Adam Wharton to play in the Champions League, but is hopeful the midfielder can achieve that feat at Selhurst Park.

Wharton has emerged as one of English football’s best young talents since joining Palace from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024. The 21-year-old made the England squad for Euro 2024 after an impressive first six months, and helped the Eagles to FA Cup success last season, the club’s first-ever major trophy.

Parish believes Wharton ‘will want to play’ in the Champions League at some stage of his career, calling the midfielder an ‘extraordinary talent’.

However, he said the aim of the South Londoners is to reach that level as a club. Manchester United and Liverpool are among the Premier League rivals reportedly tracking his progress.

“I think Adam at some point will want to play either in the Champions League with us, if we can make that happen, or probably with another club,” he told talkSPORT.

“He’s an extraordinary talent. I think right now, and I can’t speak for Adam, but I think he’s focused on his time at Crystal Palace.

“He had a broken season last season with the groin issues that he had that a lot of young players get.

“I think this season he’s completely focused on putting the games in, getting in the England squad, being a regular for us, and making sure that he can show that Saturday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday. It’s a difficult programme for us right now.

“If Manchester United want Adam Wharton, that’s nothing surprising really about that.

“The fact of the matter is he’s got a long contract to run. There’s no pressure on us to do it, and I don’t think there’s any real pressure from the player either.”

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