Adam Wharton expressed his frustration after being forced to miss part of Crystal Palace's Conference League celebrations due to a doping test. The England midfielder was selected for random testing by UEFA following Palace's historic 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the final at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.
Historic Victory for Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace secured their first European trophy in history, with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring the second-half winner. The victory marked a perfect send-off for manager Oliver Glasner, who is leaving his role. Wharton, who missed last year's FA Cup final win over Manchester City through injury, was eager to celebrate with teammates and fans but had to temporarily leave for doping control.
Wharton's Reaction
'I missed out on the FA Cup celebrations last year, so I'm definitely going to make up for it this time,' said Wharton, who was also left out of England's World Cup squad. 'I can't put this feeling into words, but you can see what it means to the fans. It's incredible, unbelievable.'
He added: 'We knew they were going to be tough to break down; they're a very well-drilled team. They work hard and they're very intense, one of the most intense teams in La Liga. It was cagey at the start, but we grew into it and found some space and exploited it. We should have scored another and made it easier for ourselves and our fans, but we got the job done. It was a great performance.'
Doping Test Disruption
Asked about Palace's celebration plans, Wharton said: 'It's going to be big. As I said, I missed the FA Cup last year, so I've got two celebrations to catch up on. I've got doping unfortunately, which ruins my party a bit, but hopefully I can get that over quickly and get on the beers and the alcohol.'
Tribute to Glasner
Wharton also paid tribute to departing manager Oliver Glasner: 'The difference he's made is incredible. Three trophies, the first three trophies in the history of the club, and now the first European trophy. He's got to be one of the best managers Crystal Palace have ever had. He's made a massive difference.'
Reaction from Pundits
TNT Sports presenter Jules Breach commented: 'There must be nothing worse as a player to be told, “you've got to go to doping, you're going to miss out on all this now!”' Former Premier League defender Joleon Lescott added: 'To be fair, it never happened to me in a massive game, but it happened in a normal game, and I just wanted to get on the coach and get away from the stadium. Wharton will be sitting in there with one of the opposition players as well, so you'll be feeling for him.'
