ROY KEANE has labelled Adam Wharton as a “bit soft” following his performance against Albania.
The Three Lions completed their impressive World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win in Tirana.
Harry Kane netted a late brace to seal the win as Thomas Tuchel‘s side made it eight wins from eight with no goals conceded.
But Keane was left wanting more from Crystal Palace star Wharton.
The midfielder, 21, was making his first start for England before he was replaced in the 75th minute by Elliot Anderson.
Wharton was one of two England players to be booked, along with Jude Bellingham.
He would have been looking to make a good impression in front of Tuchel with Declan Rice and Anderson currently ahead in the pecking order.
Keane believes that Wharton has plenty of quality but needs to assert himself over his team-mates and be more demanding
The former Manchester United star turned pundit labelled him a “bit soft” and suggested that he needs to toughen up.
Speaking on ITV: “I do like Adam Wharton
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“A lot of the modern midfielders, their first option seems to be ‘can I go sideways or backwards?’
“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.
“He’s a bit soft there. 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.”
Tuchel however was pleased with Wharton’s full England debut when asked about the ace after the game.
The German manager admitted that it was not an “easy” game for Wharton but was happy with his “overall” showing.
He said: Good, good. Not easy, because we tried a little bit different in the build-up with John Stones [moving into midfield].
“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.”
Wharton joined Palace in January 2024 from Blackburn Rovers and has become a key member of the South London team.
He played an important role in the club’s FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs this year.
The midfielder’s performances have already seen him be linked with a big-money move away from Selhurst Park.
Both Manchester United and Liverpool have reported interest in add him to their squads in future transfer windows.
He has even been tipped with an interest from LaLiga giants Real Madrid after they missed out on Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal.
