Blackburn Rovers will be due a payment from Crystal Palace after Adam Wharton made his first competitive England start.
The ex-Rovers star joined the Premier League side in a club-record deal almost two years ago. Since then, the local lad has seen his star rise enormously to the point he's now being linked with some of football's elite clubs.
Rovers will benefit to the tune of roughly 15% of profit if he leaves Palace, as revealed by Lancashire Telegraph last month.
In the meantime, Wharton's start against Albania on Sunday night means he has triggered another clause that was included in the deal. That was his third England cap but, crucially, his first competitive start.
READ MORE: Blackburn Rovers' 'top target' poses interesting condrum for Valerien Ismael
LT reported 18 months ago that landmark would earn Rovers a 'significant fee' from Palace, though the exact figure is unknown. 18 months on from his England debut, the qualifying criteria has now been met.
"Good, good. Not easy, because we tried a little bit different in the build-up with John Stones [moving into midfield]," Thomas Tuchel said when assessing Wharton's full debut.
"In the second half, we reversed a little bit and played a 4-3-3 so he was alone, sometimes a little exposed. It’s not his fault. We were a bit open and a bit sloppy. But overall, he did well."
ITV pundit, Roy Keane, was also pleased with Wharton's display. As with many, the midfielder's desire to punch passes forward caught the eye.
“A lot of the modern midfielders, their first option seems to be ‘Can I go sideways or backwards?" Keane said.
“What I like about him, the first option he seems to look at it is ‘can I pass it forward?’ and that’s a big strength to have.
“This is where he can mature over the next year or two if he’s playing at the top level, put demands on people.
"Shout at players, go ‘give me the ball!’. That’s what I used to do, I used to fall out with people a lot. ‘Give me the ball!’ Put demands on your team-mates.
“He’s still new to it, so I’m not going to be too harsh on him. But as he matures and starts playing more games, put demands on your team-mates.”
Share