Glenn Hoddle compares Adam Wharton to Trent Alexander-Arnold as former England manager says he was surprised by Crystal Palace star's World Cup snub
Updated 28/05/2026 at 10:10 GMT+1
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Glenn Hoddle compared Adam Wharton’s passing ability to Trent Alexander-Arnold and said his “eyebrows lifted” when the 22-year-old was not included in England’s World Cup squad.
Hoddle compares Wharton to Alexander-Arnold after Conference League masterclass
Video credit: TNT Sports
Wharton played all but one of Crystal Palace's games on the way to their UEFA Conference League triumph and has been a vital cog in Oliver Glasner's midfield.
But England manager Thomas Tuchel has opted for other players instead of Wharton, including Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice and Morgan Rogers.
And former England manager Hoddle said his "eyebrows lifted" when he saw that Wharton was not included in Tuchel's 26-man squad, calling him a "provider."
"I am a little surprised [Wharton did not get a call-up]," he said. "I'm not sure if he gets around the pitch enough defensively, so that could be a burden against him.
"But for me, I love the way he looks forward and passes.
”He can hit killer balls which take a defence out with one pass and I'm not sure we've got that many in the deep-lying position who can do that at a consistent level - so my eyebrows lifted when I saw he wasn't part of the squad."
Wharton was once again in fine form during the Conference League final, guiding Palace to their third major trophy in two seasons and into next season’s Europa League.
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'My eyebrows went up' - Should Wharton have made England squad?
Video credit: TNT Sports
On the biggest stage in Crystal Palace history, there was no sense of him being fazed by the occasion, instead delivering a masterclass in distribution.
And it was because of that, Hoddle compared him to Alexander-Arnold, who is also not getting on the plane to the USA, Mexico and Canada this summer.
”You’re looking at playing a cup final, you’re looking at playing at the top level and doing it at the top level - tonight, he has played in a final, there is a lot of tension,” Hoddle added.
”Can you go out there and perform? Well, he did. 'Give me the ball, I will show you what I can do. What I am good at is passing.'
"And he has done that, I have just analysed that, he has made a terrific contribution to the goal.
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”He is a player that, I think, there are passes that nobody in that squad [can make].
”Trent [Alexander-Arnold] could probably hit a few passes like that, he is not in it either.
”This is the quality that we have got, because this lad can play forward, he hits passes that nobody else looks for, let alone can play.
”Now, whether he has got the bottle to have done that in the World Cup in an England shirt is another story.
”You’ve got to take that to the next level. But he is not being given the chance, unfortunately for him. I would have had him in the squad.”
Wharton 'not going to sit and cry' about snub
While celebrating the Conference League triumph, the midfielder gave a very professional reply to the question of how he felt not being included in the England squad.
He said: "That’s just part of football. It was never a guarantee I was going to go. I knew that.
"When he [Thomas Tuchel] called me, he just told me I wasn’t there. He said it was close but, like I said, that’s football.
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'I'm not going to sit here and cry about it' - Wharton reflects on England omission
Video credit: SNTV
"I’m not going to sit here and cry about it, I still had two games for Palace to go and obviously tonight was a massive one.
"I don’t really dwell on those things too much, it’s not the end of the world - I’m still young.
"Hopefully, there are other tournaments and World Cups I can go to in the future, but I’m focused on Palace, coming here and getting the win, which we have done.
"So I’m glad with that. I’ve got a couple of places booked to go [on summer holiday]"
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