Liverpool · Midfielder · #0 · England · 41 yrs
Adam Wharton was one of the polemic exclusion in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup list for England. Almost every World Cup squad sparks debate over which players should have been called up and which were left out. In England’s case, the name many believe Thomas Tuchel should not have omitted is Adam Wharton, who has now spoken about missing out on the tournament. Wharton said: “I’m not going to sit around crying. It’s not the end of the world. I’m still young and I hope there will be other tournaments I can go to. Tuchel told me I was close. But that’s football.” What made the discussion grow even more was Wharton’s recent performance in Crystal Palace’s win over Rayo Vallecano, which secured the Conference League title. The midfielder was the standout player of the match and showed the kind of talent Tuchel may regret leaving out. England’s midfielders The era of elite England midfielders such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes may never be repeated. They are legends of the game, albeit they were never able to win a major tournament. Player of the match: Adam Wharton 🤳#UECLfinal pic.twitter.com/6xpHks9JXp— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) May 27, 2026 This squad still includes plenty of talented players, even if not at that level. The exception is probably Declan Rice, who has been excellent for several years and whose rise with Arsenal has put him above most of the current midfield options. Tuchel’s decision was heavily criticized by many after he included Jordan Henderson. The former Liverpool midfielder has not been the same since leaving the club and is about to turn 36, but the manager valued his experience. Wharton may have missed out because of Kobbie Mainoo’s rise, which was enough to convince the manager to leave the left-footed midfielder out. Another player competing for that spot, Elliott Anderson, did make the squad. Among the other midfielders selected, there was little debate, with Jude Bellingham still an obvious choice despite a poor season with Real Madrid, and Morgan Rogers included after an excellent finish to the campaign with Aston Villa. England’s missing names Wharton was not the only notable omission from Tuchel’s squad as Harry Maguire is also absent despite Manchester United’s improvement. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are other creative players who missed out after disappointing club seasons. Trent Alexander-Arnold also joined them after dealing with injuries.
A Liverpool without Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson is hard to comprehend, however well signposted their exits have been, and as the two Anfield greats walked up to the Kop together for one last time it was also difficult to see where Arne Slot’s side are heading next season in their absence. The most positive aspect of a uniquely challenging season for Liverpool is that it is over.Champions League qualification was at least secured courtesy of a draw against Brentford, who would have qualified for Europe themselves but for Dango Ouattara missing a glorious chance to seal victory with the final act. Salah signed off with a trademark flourish, producing the 120th assist of his Liverpool career for Curtis Jones’s opener. The Egypt international’s 93rd Premier League assist for Liverpool also ensured he overtook Steven Gerrard’s club record in his final appearance. How appropriate that Salah should depart with one more record. Continue reading...
Forward has had a difficult final season at Anfield but his outbursts are born of the same hunger that has fired a generational talent and all-time greatMohamed Salah loves to hear stories about Steven Gerrard and Sir Kenny Dalglish from Liverpool fans who work at the training ground. He can recite his predecessors’ numbers and achievements, having spent the past nine years in pursuit of both, but what really captivates him are tales of how they became legends in the eyes of the Kop. Salah has always longed to be in that company. While that makes his recent public criticisms all the more unfortunate, it does not diminish his phenomenal achievement in reaching that goal.There is acrimony at the end of Salah’s Liverpool career, as there was a degree of antipathy at the start. He will be celebrated for the relentless brilliance in between. Continue reading...
Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen, Didi Hamann, Jerzy Dudek, Jimi Traore, Xabi Alonso, and of course, Rafa Benitez. The legendary 2005 Champions League final, in which Liverpool faced a sublime AC Milan side, went 3-0 down, and came back to win it. You’ve heard the story many times, but have you heard it told […] The post Netflix announce “Untold UK: Liverpool’s Miracle of Istanbul” documentary (Video) appeared first on Soccer News.
