Ahead of a major tournament there is typically a clamour for the player of the moment to be included in the England squad, a chorus of calls from pundits and fans that is eventually answered. That was the case with Kobbie Mainoo earlier this year. On other occasions, you have a bolt from the blue that no one saw coming. That's the best way to describe Adam Wharton's call-up by Gareth Southgate for England's provisional Euro 2024 squad.
Wharton has only been playing in the Premier League since February after a transfer deadline-day switch to Crystal Palace from Blackburn Rovers. It's fair to say that many England supporters wouldn't have heard of him until he made his debut against Brighton from the bench, and they certainly wouldn't have been impressed by the end of the crushing 4-1 defeat.
But Wharton has kicked on under new Palace coach Oliver Glasner, playing a vital role in the Eagles' flying finish to the season, in which they won six of their last seven matches, stunning Liverpool and embarrassing Manchester United in the process.
And now he has booted long-time England servant Jordan Henderson out of the squad and staked his claim to be included on the final 26-man roster for Germany. GOAL, then, charts the stunning and sudden rise of the soon-to-be England international...