Alan Pattullo: Anfield deal would be fitting reward for Charlie Adam

Published on Sunday 23 January 2011 12:59

The identity of the most wanted man in the Barclays Premier League's might not please the marketing people involved with England's top league, yet it strikes a blow for talented, younger-than-they look footballers with gap-toothed smiles.

Charlie Adam has come a long way from the misfit whose inimitable style never seemed to quite win over the Rangers fans. He was almost hounded out of Ibrox in the end but is now coveted by Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool. It's no less than he deserves. The memories remain fresh from the afternoon he decided to become the first Scotsman to own Wembley since the 20-year-old Barry Ferguson led England a merry midfield dance in 1999, in the second leg of the England v Scotland Euro 2000 play-off. Ferguson's efforts ultimately proved in vain, though, while Adam's performance in the Championship play-off final against Cardiff City on a hot afternoon in May firmly trashed the notion that he didn't possess the fitness levels to become a truly great player. But few would have expected him to become a target for Liverpool within the matter of a season.

When figures like 8 million are being banded about - or, in Blackpool manager Ian Holloway's world, 46m - the player's input in his own development has to be acknowledged. It would have been easy for Adam to retreat into a shell after his experiences with Rangers.

Some are already questioning whether he will be able to handle the pressure at Anfield. But there is a steel to Adam which was manifested during his time at Ibrox in his willingness to keep playing passes designed to rip through opponents when shorter, safer ones might have been a tempting alternative.

A peek at Liverpool forums yesterday reveals that fans are genuinely excited by his possible arrival. If this happens, either during this transfer window or in the summer, Adam is an admirable example of someone who has pulled himself up by the bootstraps, having refused to be inhibited.