Wharton grew up supporting Blackburn and in 2008, at the age of four, he was a mascot for a match against Chelsea at Ewood Park before joining the club’s academy two years later.
He only made his first team debut, playing alongside his older brother Scott,, external in the Carabao Cup victory over Hartlepool United in August 2022.
Wharton went on to make 51 appearances for Rovers in all competitions, scoring four goals and making five assists, before joining Palace.
His statistics since moving up to the Premier League have been impressive.
Wharton has created 21 chances – the same number as team-mates Daniel Munoz and Eberechi Eze. Only Munoz (4) has provided more assists for the club since Wharton (3) joined.
Wharton is also high up on Palace’s list of tackles won (35) and duels won (79), with only Munoz above him in both categories.
Asked about England senior speculation after the United game, Wharton said it “is not at the front of my mind”.
He added: “If I get the call-up, wow, fantastic. If not, [I’ll be] recovering somewhere and then get ready to go again.
“I’m never really satisfied with my performances. Even if I have a good game, I always remember the things I could have done better. That’s just how I’ve always looked at games.
“You’re never perfect and I want to try to be perfect but I’m still only young [and] got a lot to work on.”
