When Crystal Palace look to take a step in the direction of extra silverware on Tuesday at Emirates Stadium, Adam Wharton might effectively maintain the important thing.

The 21-year-old midfielder helped the Eagles to FA Cup glory towards Manchester Metropolis earlier this yr after which to Group Defend success towards Liverpool.

Oliver Glasner’s facet are two rounds from one other journey to Wembley within the EFL Cup however should first overcome Premier League leaders Arsenal within the quarter-finals.

If Palace are so as to add to their latest success, and change into a constant presence in European competitors, protecting Wharton in the course of the looming January switch window could possibly be essential.

“He’s nonetheless a younger participant, however the way in which he strikes across the pitch he appears so calm and he hasn’t even performed 50 Premier League video games but,” Match of the Day pundit Thomas Hitzlsperger stated lately.

“Being so central and being so inexperienced but having such an impact on this crew is actually spectacular. A contemporary quantity six who passes the ball but additionally wins it again.

“His orientation across the pitch is consistently on. He is aware of the place he’s, he is aware of the place his team-mates are. Typically he jogs round and would not actually get a sweat on however he is aware of the place he must be in his place. No person can get the ball off him.”

Palace are actually eighth within the Premier League after a 4-1 loss to Leeds on Saturday, having slipped from fifth, however are solely three factors behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

They’ve entered a two-legged play-off within the Convention League and can want Wharton to be at his greatest ought to they want to progress and preserve their European dream alive.

The “stylish, fiercely aggressive midfielder”, in response to BBC Sport’s chief soccer author Phil McNulty, has been “operating video games” together with his “loping, languid type”.

It’s no shock that he has been linked with a number of Premier League golf equipment together with Chelsea, Liverpool and each Manchester groups.

Right here we take an in-depth look into Wharton and the way he compares to different Premier League midfielders.