LISTEN.
It is a word that Charlie Adam uses a lot at the start of sentences, something he's obviously picked up from doing numerous interviews over the years. Maybe he does it to give his words an extra layer of gravitas. Or, more likely, it's a semi subconscious thing and he's barely aware that he's doing it at all.
A better word for Adam, though, would be look. Look at me. Look at what I'm doing. Look at what I've achieved. Throughout his career, Adam has been like the child riding a bicycle with no hands, trying desperately to catch the eye of a parent too busy in conversation, or preoccupied with checking an email or sending a text. Some managers, like Ian Holloway at Blackpool and Kenny Dalglish during his second spell at Liverpool, clearly paid enough attention to him and were able to nurture Adam's undoubted talent. Others, though, have remained oblivious to his capabilities, much to the 29 year-old's evident frustration. His response is often to execute the spectacular in a bid to grab their attention, his recent 60-yard strike against Chelsea - that will almost certainly be named as England's goal of the season - the perfect example of that. Sometimes it can be more effective to yell in a parent's ear rather than continuing to tug timidly at their sleeve.
Adam seems in a good place right now. He is back in the Stoke City side, playing well, and scoring goals. Last weekend he appeared on the BBC's Football Focus programme and, immediately after this interview in a quiet corner of the Stoke City canteen, he was heading for London to prepare to present on the TalkSport breakfast show. He is not naturally a gregarious or extroverted person but he retains a confidence in his own abilities that is unshakeable. It is why it puzzles him when others don't feel the same way.
Mark Hughes, the Stoke manager, has been a champion of the Adam cause in recent weeks but could not always find a place for the Scot in his side in the early part of this season. That narked at Adam and he does not try to hide that. "I'm like a bear with a sore head when I'm not playing," he says. It is during those times that he appreciates the support group he has built up over the years, the friends and family who tell him to keep the faith and not let his head go down. As someone who always seemed to simply enjoy kicking a ball around - he wants to keep playing well into his thirties - it almost seems cruel for anyone to deny him the privilege. "It's not always great in the game," he admits. "There are difficult times. I moan a fair bit and I get frustrated too. My friends and family would probably be more worried, though, if I wasn't moaning or if I wasn't bothered when I'm not in the team. But I am. It matters a lot to me."
The goal against Chelsea was a timely reminder of what Adam is capable of. He is quite bashful about it - describing it as "a nice goal" - but the secret to it was his determination not to be cowed by the consequence of failure. Those who dismissed it as a fluke clearly don't understand the Adam mentality.
"I'm confident enough that I can do that kind of thing. If it doesn't work then you do look silly at times. But you have to be brave enough and have enough confidence in your own ability to keep trying it. If it goes wrong you've got your manager, your team-mates and the crowd on your back. You have to deal with that and I'm willing to accept that. Luckily for me that one went in."
It has been six years since Adam left Scottish football. The subsequent years have been largely prosperous. He was the poster boy at Blackpool, leading his team into the Premier League and then almost keeping them there. Then came the £7m transfer to Anfield, a move not even this most self-assured of characters had ever contemplated. And then came Stoke, for whom he has made a solid contribution over the last four years. Despite all that, however, there are still regrets at the way things transpired at Rangers. A regular during Paul Le Guen's brief reign, he would fail to similarly establish himself during Walter Smith's time in charge. He still wishes it had turned out differently but believes his subsequent career path has proved he took the right decision to plump for a fresh challenge.
"I'd loved to have played more at Rangers as it was a great club," he adds. "Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, though, that it never worked out as I got to play in the Premier League. Part of my motivation to do well in England was to show I could do it. Everybody doubts you. Even now there are people who doubt me even though I've played 150-odd games in the Premier League. People still think, "nah, he's not good enough for that level" but you just ignore that and keep producing performances, keep proving them wrong. I'm playing in the most exciting league in the world and when the time comes to retire I can look back over a good career. I think the success I've had in England has proved a few people in Scotland wrong, those who thought maybe I couldn't cut it down here. Even some people at Rangers at the time thought that leaving was always going to be a step back. Well, maybe I took a step back but then I took two steps forward."
Craig Levein was another who rated Adam, effectively building his Scotland team around his "quarterback". Since Levein left to be replaced by Gordon Strachan, however, Adam has barely had a look in. He played once last year - the friendly against Poland - and it is now 26 months since he last featured in a competitive match for his country. Again, he reveals his frustration although he hasn't given up on a recall.
"It's been a bit frustrating the last 18 months or so, not playing. That's been difficult to watch. My performances on the pitch will dictate what happens there in future but I'm always available to be selected." Strachan will hopefully be listening.
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