I think England can win the World Cup.
Let me start there.
I think Thomas Tuchel is an outstanding manager. I think England have one of the deepest squads in world football. I think they have match winners all over the pitch.
But I also think England have taken a risk.
Because when I looked at the final squad list, there was one name missing that immediately stood out.
Adam Wharton.
Not because he is fashionable.
Not because he is young.
Because he is a footballer.
A real footballer.
Years ago, when I was building Stylo Matchmakers, the Wharton family bought football boots from me. Later, I met Adam and his brother Scott at a sports shop their dad had opened.
What struck me then is exactly what strikes me now.
They are proper people.
Grounded.
Respectful.
Hard-working.
No drama.
No sense of entitlement.
Just football.
That upbringing shows in Adam’s game.
He carries himself like a professional. He respects the game. He studies it. He understands it.
And understanding football is becoming a rarer skill than many people realise.
The modern game is obsessed with athleticism.
How fast can he run?
How hard can he press?
How much ground can he cover?
Those things matter.
But World Cups are rarely won because somebody ran five kilometres more than somebody else.
World Cups are won by moments.
One pass.
One decision.
One piece of composure under pressure.
One flash of imagination.
That is where Adam Wharton becomes different.
Some players play football.
Wharton reads football.
Watch him closely and you notice it immediately.
He is always scanning.
Always thinking.
Always a step ahead.
The game seems slower when he is involved because he understands where the next pass is before everyone else.
That is not coaching.
That is instinct.
That is football intelligence.
England have leaders.
England have runners.
England have workers.
England have world-class talent.
What England do not have much of is players who can completely change the rhythm of a game with one touch of the ball.
Wharton can.
That is why the debate around Jordan Henderson will not disappear.
This is not about disrespecting Henderson. He has had a magnificent career. He has captained teams, won major honours and represented England with distinction.
But international football does not stand still.
Managers are not selecting careers.
They are selecting tournaments.
The question is simple.
If England are level in a World Cup quarter-final with fifteen minutes remaining, which player is more likely to create the moment that changes everything?
Who is more likely to spot the pass nobody else can see?
Who is more likely to unlock a defence sitting deep?
Who is more likely to produce something unexpected?
For me, the answer is Adam Wharton.
Because match winners are not always goalscorers.
Sometimes the match winner is the player who creates the goal.
The player who sees the picture before everyone else.
The player who turns a crowded midfield into an opportunity.
The player who gives the ball life.
That is Wharton.
And that is why I think England have taken a gamble.
Not a reckless gamble.
Not a fatal gamble.
A calculated one.
England may well win this World Cup.
In fact, I think they have every chance.
But tournament football is cruel.
The margins are tiny.
The difference between lifting the trophy and flying home can be one moment.
One pass.
One decision.
One act of imagination.
That is why squad selections matter.
Because nobody remembers the easy group game.
Everybody remembers the quarter-final that got away.
Thomas Tuchel may be proven completely right.
England may never need Adam Wharton.
But if England find themselves staring at a stubborn defence, chasing a goal, with the clock ticking down and the nation holding its breath, there will be one question supporters ask.
Who can produce a little bit of magic?
Adam Wharton can.
That is why I would have taken him.
Not because he is the future.
Not because I know the family.
Because he is a match winner.
And sometimes, World Cups are won by match winners.