Last season was arguably the best of Charlie Adam’s career. In his first campaign in the Premier League, the Scottish midfielder scored 12 goals for Blackpool and was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award. He found the net against the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, but was unable to save his side from relegation.
However, his displays were enough to persuade Kenny Dalglish to sign him for an undisclosed fee, as he made a dream move to Anfield this summer. After his exploits during 2010/11, expectations of Adam were high, particularly due to his excellent set piece delivery which was seen as one way of getting the best out of Andy Carroll.
But it has been a tough start at Liverpool for Adam. While he has managed to find the net twice so far, including one in front of the Kop in the 3-1 win over Bolton, fans are still yet to be fully convinced that he is good enough to represent the side. The Reds’ sluggish start to the league season has not helped the 25-year-old’s case, and he, along with the other new signings aside from Jose Enrique, has come in for criticism.
Despite these early setbacks, the player himself is determined to prove that last season was not a one-off. People may forget that he almost single-handedly got Blackpool into the Premier League in the first place, and now he is desperate to show his true ability and win the backing of the Anfield faithful. Speaking to The Liverpool Echo, Adam said:
“I hadn’t played in the Premier League until last season and people judged me on how I performed for Blackpool. But I want to show that I can be a Premier League player on a consistent basis, and that I’m good enough to play for Liverpool. No-one is as proud as me to be a Liverpool player.”
With Steven Gerrard likely to still be out injured for the trip to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea on Sunday, Adam is likely to start in centre midfield alongside Lucas. A big display in a big game, the kind of performance he put in regularly for Blackpool last season, would go a long way to proving himself to the Kopites.
Based on the form he showed last year, signing Adam was not a mistake. He has yet to find his best form at Anfield, but he has already demonstrated he is capable of performing at this level. He has made a huge step-up in terms of the quality around him, and with some patience and encouragement he can become a great player for the Reds.
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Charlie was the best player I’ve ever seen at Blackpool and a leader on the pitch. He never gives up. It takes time to find your feet in a squad that’s being rebuilt – have some patience and I am sure Charlie will repay it.