The England midfielder who switched cricket for the Premier League

• One of England’s Euro 2024 midfielders once played academy county cricket
• The now Premier League player featured for Lancashire Under 10s in 2014 
• Lancashire are known for bringing through several England internationals 

Lancashire’s youth system has produced more England internationals than any of its rivals over the past two years.

Four of England’s dozen most recent Test debutants – Saqib Mahmood, Matt Parkinson, Liam Livingstone and Tom Hartley – emerged from age group sides at Emirates Old Trafford.

But can you spot the latest England cap, graduating from the county’s Under 10s team of 2014?

A clue? The individual in question won’t be appearing at Lord’s any time soon. In fact, he is in Germany for Euro 2024, following a remarkable first four months as a Premier League player.

Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, 20, only left his native Blackburn in a £22.5million deal on February 1.

Ten years ago, the prodigiously-talented youngster, who signed for his hometown club’s academy at six, combined football with cricket, representing the county under the captaincy of Matthew Hurst, now a Lancashire first-team player.

Here Wharton (fifth from right, back row) lines up wearing the red rose, towered over by fast bowler Josh Boyden, who has since played for England Under-19.

Wharton has followed in the footsteps of the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil, who both represented Lancashire Schools before featuring for England in major football championships.