Adam Wharton Euros Odds: England midfielder 16/1 to be named UEFA Young Player of the Tournament

Jaquob Crooke Updated: 09 Jun 24 15:46

England's latest prospect Adam Wharton has shortened from 66/1 into 16/1 to be named UEFA Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 after he was named in Gareth Southgate's final 26-man squad.

bet365's Steve Freeth said: "Having been 66/1 to make the squad in April and 33/1 in May, Wharton is now 20/1 into 7/2 to start the opener against Serbia after a deluge of support.

"The Crystal Palace midfielder is also 66/1 into 20/1 to be Young Player of the Tournament and if it continues at this rate he’ll be challenging Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham at the top of the Ballon d’Or betting come 15th July!"

Adam Wharton odds

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It's been an astronomical rise for Wharton, who was operating in the Championship for his boyhood club Blackburn Rovers six months ago and will now be heading to Germany for a major tournament with his country.

The 20-year-old's efficient 28-minute cameo against Bosnia - in which he recorded a 100% pass accuracy as he ensured England's attack kept ticking over - has thrusted him into contention to start the Three Lions' opening match against Serbia and Wharton is 7/2 to be included in Southgate's starting XI in Gelsenkirchen.

A few eyebrows were raised when Crystal Palace splashed a lavish sum of £18million on Wharton in January but the midfielder has already proven to be a shrewd piece of business in such a short space of time.

Blackburn fans knew straight away that Wharton was destined for greatness when he delivered a Player of the Match performance on his first league start against Blackpool. In a typically fiery contest, the midfielder oozed maturity and composure as he dictated proceedings, unfazed by the magnitude of the occasion.

Wharton continued to flourish under the guidance of Jon Dahl Tomasson before earning his move to the Premier League with Crystal Palace.

There was intrigue as to how Wharton would be phased into the Eagles first-team setup but the Wilpshire-born ace made a seamless transition into life at Selhurst Park under Roy Hodgson.

Wharton played an instrumental role in Palace's surge up the standings under Oliver Glasner as they picked up six wins from their last seven league matches.

Intelligent in possession, he can produce a variety of passes with the utmost precision. Off the ball, his combative nature and impeccable anticipation caught the eye of Southgate and his staff.

He was introduced from the bench after 62 minutes and if you expected Wharton to be flustered by making his England debut, you thought wrong.

The central midfielder was the calmest head on the pitch. Wading in with several challenges, it was the tranquility of his efforts that stood out above all else as he consistently recycled possession and maintained England's tempo.

On Wharton's cameo, Southgate said: “He sees pictures early; he can play forward.

"Why did we bring him in? We saw things in his performances for his club. I think the other (England) players have recognised his quality very quickly when you see the positions they take, the way they interact on the training pitch.”

Southgate outlined how Wharton is a player England have long been searching for. Even if his career has rocketed from the second tier of English football to Euro 2024 in several months, Wharton has the attributes to play an important role in England's quest for glory.