From Kids Cup to FA Cup semis – Wharton’s Wembley return

A 10-year-old playing at Wembley Stadium creates a wonderful piece of skill with a spin in the style of Diego Maradona before sending a cross into the area in a video that can be seen on social media.

Adam Wharton, a student at Salesbury Church of England Primary School in the Kids Cup final of 2015, made his debut on the imposing turf.

The 21-year-old midfielder makes his first appearance at Wembley as a Crystal Palace player in a decade-long campaign to take them one step closer to capturing their first major trophy.

Wharton described his first experience playing at Wembley as “unbelievable.”

“It was before Middlesbrough vs. Norwich’s play-off final of the 2015 Championship.” Box to Box was used.

We won on penalties, and it was an unbelievable feeling.

If he is required for penalty duty once more on Saturday, Wharton, ten, will take one of those spot kicks and a cool finish beyond the goalkeeper.

This will be Palace’s seventh appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals, despite their unofficial victory.

However, they have a tough test against a Villa side that is in good form, having won ten of their last twelve games.

“I’m excited,” Williamson continued.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to perform and compete for a trophy. However, we are aware that the game will be difficult.

“We think we can win if we play as we know we can,” the statement read. At this moment, everyone is confident.

However, teams will punish us if we lower our standards.

Wharton has been with Palace since joining from Blackburn in February 2024, when he hit the ground running, contributing greatly to Palace’s success in winning six of their final seven games in the Premier League and making the England squad for Euro 2024.

Wharton was undergoing surgery to correct a groin problem that initially plagued him at the beginning of the season, which caused him to miss 14 Premier League games and miss out on spending two months out.

Although Palace had a slow start to the season with him, the Eagles have been soaring since losing just two of their previous ten games, with Wharton making a number of eye-catching displays with his absence.

According to Wharton, “It has gone better than expected.”

I didn’t anticipate making the team as quickly as I did when I first made the move. I also likely had a little luck.

“I wanted to travel somewhere where I believed I had a chance of getting a job, and I saw that Palace had provided that opportunity to other players.”

You can’t let that praise get to your head, though, but it is good.

Wharton is only interested in becoming the best player he can be, despite the compliments he receives.

Wharton remarked, “I had some friends sending me what Pep Guardiola said.

“Of course, that is wonderful to see, but if he says that and I play terrible, that doesn’t mean much,” he said.