The reaction was typically Scottish, the sense of humour to which Che Adams will soon be accustomed.
When Record Sport on Monday night exclusively revealed the Southampton striker is set to be named in the Scotland squad and end two years of eyelash batting, it’s fair to say it got people a little excited.
"I’m not one to exaggerate. But we’re winning the Euros" was the flavour.
It was Malky Mackay who first tried to tempt Adams to play for a national team that hadn’t reached a major finals in three decades and followed up by Alex McLeish. But it was Steve Clarke who looks to have got this deal over the line with a little help from, and let’s not be naive here, Euro 2020.
Sure, there will be a few people who would consider Adams’ move as little more than opportunistic flag waving but going by the Twitter ratio, the vast majority are delighted the 24-year-old has acquiesced to be an Anglo.
But who is the forward our national team set-up has for so long attempted to wear a kilt and what will he bring to Clarke’s side? Record Sport tries to find out...
Who is he?
Adams was born in Leicester and has already represented England U20s so be in no doubt, this is a major coup. He was wanted by the Antigua national team (his father is from the Caribbean) but after nearly 30 months of holding fire on making a decision, Adams is poised to be named in Clarke’s squad on Tuesday for the World Cup qualifiers later this month.
He qualifies for Scotland through a maternal grandparent but, then again, John Barnes could have played for us. It was his then boss at Birmingham, Garry Monk, who confirmed Scotland were chasing his player. "Alex McLeish rang me the last international break and enquired about Che. Of course, the decision will always come down to the player. At that point, though, having spoken to Che, he really wants to concentrate on his club football." Great spot, Big Eck.
Career
Adams is old school when it comes to where he started, having begun his career in England’s lower leagues before winning a six-figure move to Sheffield United thanks to scoring goals. Then it was on to Birmingham City – more goals followed – before Southampton and the English Premier League came calling. The St Mary’s side paid £15m for the forward, who signed a five-year deal, in the summer of 2019.
Quirky fact
He’s named after Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the Argentine Marxist who was a huge figure in the Cuban Revolution. He told the Guardian shortly after joining Southampton: “Yeah, it was where I got my name from. Che Guevara was in the news around the time that I was born and I think it was something to do with where his body was buried, although I’m not sure.“My mum just really liked the name. So that’s it.”
What’s he got?
Goals. And quite a few of them. Adams has already netted seven times in the Premier League this season over 32 appearances in all competitions which is a nifty return for a club sitting in 14th place. He gets about the pitch, too, which is going to be more than a little useful in this summer’s tournament as Clarke’s team will have to defend from the front. He has searing pace, a wicked right foot and a relaxed temperament that has seen him booked only twice over the past two seasons.
Where will he play?
He was used in a variety of positions – as a lone striker, in a two and further wide for Birmingham. But Clarke may well pair him with Lyndon Dykes, who has struggled up front for Queens Park Rangers of late. They could make a potent partnership, however, and Adams has operated in a two this season – either alongside Danny Ings or Nathan Tella. The 24-year-old could be the perfect foil for Dykes, offering speed and angles to complement the former Livingston man’s hold-up play and intelligence. When you compare Adams to Scotland's incumbent No.9 he certainly edges when you look over their attacking numbers. The Southampton man has netted seven in 32 (0.22 goals per game) to Dykes' nine in 42 games (0.21 goals per game) but is well clear in terms of shots (1.44 to 1.17 per game) and shots on target is also significant (0.84 per game to 0.5 per game). You also have to factor in Adams is operating a division above QPR's Dykes so the fact he is posting better numbers is highly significant. But backers of the Kilted Kangaroo would be right to point out Dykes' hold-up play is a major reason why Scotland have reached a first major tournament in a generation. International football does not conform to the rules of the club game with history littered with players who came alive for their country. But what the stats clearly show is Adams offers the kind of menace in front of goal that has been missing since Leigh Griffiths was the toast of the Tartan Army under Gordon Stachan's watch.
Anything else?
Adams’ St Mary’s team-mate Stuart Armstrong deserves some credit for getting the striker on Clarke’s bus bound for the Euros. Armstrong has a good connection with him as the former Celtic man has excelled on the south coast playing on the right side of a four-man midfield. Clarke is awash with options but Armstrong's versatility and Adam's familiarity in a 4-4-2 could allow the Scotland boss to find a position for the former Celtic man and get two strikers on the pitch without losing much in the way of defensive solidity. One last favour, Stuart – know any right-backs?
