We are the prodigy
Wharton joined Blackburn Rovers’ pre-Academy at just six-years-old, and hasn’t looked back since.
With two older brothers, his footballing education came thick and fast in back gardens and school playgrounds.
When his brother Scott was invited to join Blackburn Under-12s – like Adam, he is now an established first-team fixture – he was asked if he had any brothers. Adam was spotted and began attending sessions every Friday after school, and a 15-year association with the club began.
He wasn’t just a player, but also a fan: his first game back in 2008 saw him walk out of the tunnel as a mascot against European Cup finalists Chelsea. Standing alongside legends of the game like John Terry, Frank Lampard, Deco and Nicolas Anelka was not daunting – indeed, it was the players in blue and white that left the biggest impression.
“Guys like Roque Santa Cruz, Benni McCarthy, Chris Samba, Ryan Nelsen and Paul Robinson definitely made an impact on me,” he told Scouted last year.
“Obviously being in the academy so early, we would see the [first-team] players once a year and I remember meeting Chris Samba. Somewhere there’s a picture of me getting my boots signed by him, and another with my mum where his head is basically cut out of the picture because he was so tall and I was tiny.”
When he began to break into the first-team, Wharton had the chance to thank Samba for his influence.
“He was doing his coaching badges with the club a year or two ago and I showed him that picture which definitely made him feel old. But it’s lovely to have those memories and of course, it does inspire you as a young player to succeed.”
