Che Adams call up the boost blunt Scotland need ahead of Euro 2020

 

Reports on Monday night suggested that Scotland boss Steve Clarke had convinced Che Adams to swap national allegiance, rumours that ultimately proved true. Adams has earned caps with the England U20 squad, but through a maternal grandparent, he was eligible for Scotland. The Scottish Football Association approached the striker in 2017 about potentially representing the nation at U21 level. 

 

While they failed to convince Adams to accept a call up four years ago, on Tuesday the Southampton frontman was named in Clarke's squad for the upcoming international break. It's a huge boost for the Tartan Army with the European Championship fast approaching and the national side in desperate need of a striker. 

 

Clarke is able to call upon the likes of Leigh Griffiths, Oliver McBurnie and Lyndon Dykes to lead the charge, but none have been able to successfully shoulder the goalscoring burden that the Scotland boss is hoping Adams can carry. In fact, the top scoring Scotland international to have played since 2000 is Kenny Miller, with 18 goals to his name. James McFadden (14), Steven Naismith and Steven Fletcher (both 10) make up the top three scorers in that time. 

 

At the time of writing, Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn is Scotland's top scoring active player with seven goals to his name. Adams' switch of national allegiance, then, is a huge boost. 

 

The 24-year-old hasn't exactly been in rampant scoring form for Southampton following his arrival from Birmingham City in 2019 and it wasn't until July last year that he scored his first goal for the club, that a superb long-distance lob of Ederson in a 1-0 win over Manchester City. However, there are signs that Adams is starting to really adjust to the demands of the Premier League. 

 

He now has seven goals and four assists for the south coast side this season, and has hit the back of the net in each of his last three outings for Saints. Their form may see them tumbling down the Premier League, but Adams is starting to hit his stride and this can only be a good thing for Scotland. 

 

Not just a scorer of goals, but a creator of them too, only James Ward-Prowse (5) has registered more assists for Adams (4) of all Saints players in the Premier League this season, while a return of 29 key passes is third behind Harry Kane (39) and Ollie Watkins (32) of all centre forwards in England's top tier this term. 

 

 

Adams' versatility across the frontline is a huge bonus for Clarke and his experience in a strike partnership for Saints, albeit in a 4-4-2, is a welcome boost for Scotland coming into the summer. Indeed, he could prove the perfect foil for Dykes in attack and the pair have the potential to forge a strike partnership that would boost Scotland's quest to progress beyond the group stages this summer. 

 

Indeed, Dykes' hold up play would allow Adams to make runs in behind the QPR man and utilise WhoScored styles of play of 'Likes to do layoffs' and 'Likes to do flick ons'. It's easy to see why Scotland fans are excited at the prospect of Adams finally accepting Clarke's call. 

 

There's also the work Adams carries out off the ball that will help pressure opposition defences, with a return of 0.8 tackes per 90 not to be scoffed at. The hope now is that the striker can continue his club form for country as we near the first set of World Cup qualifying matches and quickly strike up an understanding with his new national teammates. 

 

Scotland scored just three goals from open play in their UEFA Nations League campaign, so it was clear a shot in the arm was needed to improve their lousy goal return. With five of Adams' seven Premier League strikes coming from open play this season, Scotland fans should enter the upcoming international break with optimism that Clarke finally has the missing part of the attacking puzzle at his disposal.

Che Adams call up the boost blunt Scotland need ahead of Euro 2020