SCHEMING ADAM UP FOR THE FIGHT
Charlie hopes to rival Fletcher for a first-team place
CHARLIE ADAM never expected to be picked for Scotland ahead of Darren Fletcher but that line of thinking might have to change now the pair have been united at club level. Fletcher’s surprise move to Stoke City has put the pair into direct competition for a place in Mark Hughes’s midfield for next season and, while Adam welcomes the addition of his countryman, he knows it could compromise his own prospects of playing.
Now 33 and no longer the Manchester United schemer guaranteed a place in Gordon Strachan’s national team, Fletcher nevertheless remains a consistent Premier League operator who made 97 appearances in just over two years at West Brom.
Hughes was at the front of the queue when it emerged he would be leaving The Hawthorns at the conclusion of last season and he looks set to play a leader’s role as Stoke seek to improve on a season that saw them finish out of the Premier League’s top half for the first time in four years.
‘Darren is a very good addition for us — he has good experience, has played at the highest level and has that winning mentality,’ said Adam. ‘He’s going to be competing against me, which makes it a wee bit difficult in that we’ll both want the jersey.
‘But that’s the kind of challenge you want. It will be good having him in our dressing room because, as well as being a good player, he’s a good guy off the pitch as well.
‘Because he was at Man United, he was always the one you looked up to in the Scotland squad, the guy playing for the biggest club in the world. ‘Previous to the issues he had, he’d been our (Scotland’s) best player for a number of years.’ The ‘issues’ to which Adam refers regard Fletcher’s health battle against ulcerative colitis. The illness first reared its head in the 2010-2011 season and eventually required surgery two years later. Although he made a full recovery, he dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford and, despite being named vice captain by Louis van Gaal in 2014, he was allowed to leave in January 2015. ‘You admire Darren for the way he came back,’ added Adam. ‘As a national team, we suffered in his absence and it’s been hard for him, too, because he’s found it difficult to get back in with Scott Brown playing the role so well. ‘But he still turned up for every game, was part of the squad and was still willing to put himself on the line for his country. ‘He’s never missed a game since he went to West Brom, which is incredible when you consider he went through such a bad period. ‘So it’s good to see him back playing and he did well for West Brom while he was there.’ Although Fletcher has rebounded strongly and Adam has continued to fulfill a relatively prominent role at Stoke, neither has found favour under the current Scotland manager. Fletcher, an unused substitute against England last weekend, remains a valuable squad member but Adam has not been involved for two years.
Often used as an impact player by Hughes, it could be argued that his international prospects would be enhanced at a club where he might start more regularly.
‘We’ll see what happens but I’m happy to stay and play. It will be another challenge,’ he said. ‘It’s never crossed my mind to move on. Why would I?
‘I know I’m not a bit-part player, they still see me as a key player. I’m not going to play every game but when I play, I’m contributing to the team, which is good.
‘We won 11 league games last season and I started in seven. I’m not saying it’s the only factor but I feel when I play I have an impact on games and we win.
‘Obviously there are ten other players and everyone has a job to do but the stats don’t lie. It’s a good club with good players and, hopefully, we can continue and improve on last season.’
Now 31, Adam already has an eye on what he might do when he stops. A frank and plain speaker, he enjoys media work and has dabbled in broadcasting.
He has also been working with the SFA to gain his coaching qualifications.
‘I’ve passed my UEFA B Licence and I’m now doing my A but I haven’t done as much as I’d like to have done on the practical side at the club,’ he said.
‘Hopefully coaching is a long way off but it helps your thought process, understanding how a manager wants to work and how he makes decisions. I listen as a player but sometimes it helps to put on a coach’s head.’
With Fletcher ready to go, Adam may well need to draw on that understanding very soon.