Adam Wharton

[arbitro]

Really good news for Adam and protecting our asset too. Hopefully he kicks on and becomes a regular first teamer for years to come.

[joey_big_nose]

Fantastic news. Really looking forward to seeing A Wharton, Travis, Buckley, Garrett all play and develop together in the midfield. They are all real talents, and it's early days but Adam potentially looks the cream of the crop.

[Guest]

It is good business for the club - Young Adam has something about him, and is clearly passionate about the club. He looks like he may have exceptional potential which, if it continues to develop, will mean he is either a long term positive influence on the fortunes of the club, or will go on to prominence somewhere else whilst leaving Rovers with a decent cash influx.

As Herbie discusses with the Hornets lot in the Watford (Don't Scratch your Eyes) podcast, Rovers do seem to have something going on at Academy level - something at least that other clubs and fans envy about us. Long may that continue.

Now, young Mr. Wharton, how about giving a footballing lesson to our relatively cash rich champagne charlie visitors this evening, eh?

Go for it (just be mindful of getting an early booking, a la Brizzle).

Congratulations on your new contract, and thank you for showing faith in the club that made you 🙂

COYB!

[lraC]

Good to see this happening. I know we had the odd one (Travis) under Mowbray, but is this a coincidence that we are getting the youngsters tied down, especially when you hear of the previous manager, recommending other clubs to his colleagues?

[briansol]

5 hours ago, lraC said:

Good to see this happening. I know we had the odd one (Travis) under Mowbray, but is this a coincidence that we are getting the youngsters tied down, especially when you hear of the previous manager, recommending other clubs to his colleagues?

Don't think it's coincidence. Broughton has a lot of experience from Academy level and there is a increased focus on bringing players through. The focus is justified as the current batch of youngsters is the best since the Duff/Dunn generation. 

Duff and Duff were the standouts, but there was also Broomes and Martin Taylor involved in the England U21 setup. And of course James Beattie who had a fine career in the Premier League. All 5 born in 1977-79.

Edited September 13, 2022 by briansol

[Upside Down]

Can we please stop referring to players as assets? It's incredibly dehumanising. 

[Guest]

Amazing news about Wharton & Phillips U19's call ups!

[arbitro]

1 hour ago, JoeH said:

Amazing news about Wharton & Phillips U19's call ups!

Absolutely. I hope they do themselves, their families and the club proud.

[oldjamfan1]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

Absolutely. I hope they do themselves, their families and the club proud.

John must be absolutely bursting with pride Tony. 

[arbitro]

3 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

John must be absolutely bursting with pride Tony. 

I'm sure he will Andy although he tries not to get too carried away. 

[roverandout]

I know there's a thread somewhere but I can't be arsed finding it. How long do you think we can keep him? I'm guessing there'll be alot of interest in him in the summer.

[Atko's Engine]

He's just signed a new contract so we can name our price. Plus as a local boy & fan, he will appreciate being a first teamer here more than being a "who's he?" anywhere else.

Of course, if he does well here over the next 18 months & we don't go up we will lose him, but he's young & has a clear pathway to first team football. No way will we lose him in the summer imo.

[roverandout]

1 minute ago, Atko's Engine said:

He's just signed a new contract so we can name our price. Plus as a local boy & fan, he will appreciate being a first teamer here more than being a "who's he?" anywhere else.

Of course, if he does well here over the next 18 months & we don't go up we will lose him, but he's young & has a clear pathway to first team football. No way will we lose him in the summer imo.

I know we won't sell him but I'm sure there'll be plenty of interest in him

[Atko's Engine]

I'm sure his card is marked by many clubs as one to follow as he just seems to play the game in such a natural way, it's instinctive for him, not practiced.

But I think we hold all the cards on this one, which is one of the big pluses of the GB/JDT era for me with the likes of Phillips, Garrett, Batty, Vale, Barnes et al also all being tied up long term.

 

[roverandout]

Our youth academy must be one of the best in the country 

[Proudtobeblue&white]

8 minutes ago, Atko's Engine said:

I'm sure his card is marked by many clubs as one to follow as he just seems to play the game in such a natural way, it's instinctive for him, not practiced.

But I think we hold all the cards on this one, which is one of the big pluses of the GB/JDT era for me with the likes of Phillips, Garrett, Batty, Vale, Barnes et al also all being tied up long term.

 

I know his dad. I'll have a chat!

[Gordon Ottershaw]

How long before Spurs are reported as "lining up a swoop"?

[Proudtobeblue&white]

He really is a lovely lad. It's down to the bloody owners, they will take the money.

[Leonard Venkhater]

1 hour ago, Gordon Ottershaw said:

How long before Spurs are reported as "lining up a swoop"?

Lol...Apparently, they are bitter about Rovers landing Markanday?

[47er]

39 minutes ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Lol...Apparently, they are bitter about Rovers landing Markanday?

Good grief, how would they feel if we played him?!

[Guest]

2 hours ago, roverandout said:

Our youth academy must be one of the best in the country 

It is and the official rankings done each year are done under stupid metrics for me. It's based on the graduates from your academy and what level they play at, but there's no weighting involved.

So if you produce 30 pro players over a 5 year period and 20 of them are Championship & Above, it's not seen as any more impressive than if you produced 30 National League footballers. 

We always rank about 10th but when you look at the league by league breakdowns, we're the only academy outside of the "Big 6" consistently producing Championship+ quality footballers.

[roversfan99]

Something like that cant be ranked at all I don't think, all subjective.

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Something like that cant be ranked at all I don't think, all subjective.

Well I agree, I think it is subjective, but there's still something produced and I think it could be improved as a concept at the very least.

[den]

The one thing that stands out to me about Adam is his balance. He always seems perfectly poised to play the ball to either side. Impressive.

[lraC]

It would be no surprise to see him becoming a target for the big boys, very soon. We are fortunate that he is a fan and a local lad. That said, if a big bid came in, then the owners might want to cash in.