<p>Almost every <strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Cup</a></strong> squad sparks debate over which players should have been called up and which were left out. In <strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/england/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">England</a></strong>’s case, the name many believe <strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/thomas-tuchel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thomas Tuchel</a></strong> should not have omitted is <strong>Adam Wharton</strong>, who has now spoken about missing out on the tournament.</p>



<p>Wharton said: <em>“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. <strong>Tuchel told me I was close</strong>. But that’s football.”</em></p>



<p>What made the discussion grow even more was Wharton’s recent performance in <strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/crystal-palace/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Crystal Palace</a></strong>’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.</p>



<h2>England’s midfielders</h2>



<p>The era of elite England midfielders such as <strong>Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes</strong> may never be repeated. They are legends of the game, albeit they were never able to win a major tournament.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Player of the match: Adam Wharton 🤳<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/UECLfinal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UECLfinal</a> <a href="https://t.co/6xpHks9JXp">pic.twitter.com/6xpHks9JXp</a></p>— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) <a href="https://x.com/Conf_League/status/2059766506989273164?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>This squad still includes plenty of talented players, even if not at that level. The exception is probably <strong>Declan Rice</strong>, who has been excellent for several years and whose rise with Arsenal has put him above most of the current midfield options.</p>


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<p>Tuchel’s decision was heavily criticized by many after he included <strong>Jordan Henderson</strong>. 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.</p>



<p>Wharton may have missed out because of <strong>Kobbie Mainoo</strong>’s rise, which was enough to convince the manager to leave the left-footed midfielder out. Another player competing for that spot, <strong>Elliott Anderson</strong>, did make the squad.</p>



<p>Among the other midfielders selected, there was little debate, with <strong>Jude Bellingham</strong> still an obvious choice despite a poor season with Real Madrid, and <strong>Morgan Rogers</strong> included after an excellent finish to the campaign with Aston Villa.</p>



<h2>England’s missing names</h2>



<p>Wharton was not the only notable omission from Tuchel’s squad as <strong>Harry Maguire</strong> 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.</p>


‘Tuchel told me I was close,’ Adam Wharton responds to World Cup omission by England’s manager

‘Tuchel told me I was close,’ Adam Wharton responds to World Cup omission by England’s manager - World Soccer Talk

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‘Tuchel told me I was close,’ Adam Wharton responds to World Cup omission by England’s manager