'What am I doing here?' - Adam Wharton sends confident message to England boss Gareth Southgate as Crystal Palace star insists he can make crucial difference for Three Lions

The England manager has seen his experiment of fielding Trent Alexander-Arnold as a midfielder miserably fail in the first two matches of Euro 2024. The Liverpool star was replaced by Conor Gallagher in both matches in the second half, however, the Chelsea midfielder also failed to live up to the expectations.

Southgate admitted after the Denmark clash that his decision to make Alexander-Arnold a makeshift midfielder has flopped while making a bizarre statement that the Three Lions are yet to find a proper replacement for Kalvin Phillips.

Ahead of their final group game against Slovenia, Wharton sent a strong message to his boss as he claimed he is ready to solve their midfield crisis. When asked if he could take Phillips' role in the team, Wharton replied, "Yeah. And so do the other players in similar positions, who think they could have a positive effect on the team. I have got belief that no matter who, where or when I play football I can affect a game. I think you have to think like that.

"If I think, 'I can’t handle this', then what am I doing here? That’s the way I look at it now. I believe I can affect any game I play in, so I am just making sure I am ready if I am called upon to help."

Southgate's side will aim for three points to seal their knockout berth as group toppers as they face Slovenia on Tuesday night.