Charlie Adam opens up on Dundee bonus row after first league win of season

Dens Park was no place for the faint hearted on Saturday night. At the heart of the tense, high stakes battle was the distinctive figure of Charlie Adam, bald head gleaming in the floodlights.

Dundee skipper Charlie Adam (right) tackles opposite number Scott Brown during the Dens Park side's 2-1 win over Aberdeen on Saturday night (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Not many midfielders in their mid-thirties still relish the cut and thrust of it like he does – or, indeed, are capable of performing to the level he is.

One, though, was playing directly against him – Scott Brown. Adam enjoyed getting one over the former Celtic skipper but was just as enthused by pitting himself against the likes of Lewis Ferguson, a current Scotland squad player 13 years his junior.

Adam’s team earned the points courtesy of the 2-1 win that places Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass – who grew up in the same Fintry estate as the Dundee midfielder – under further pressure.

Adam can’t afford to be sentimental about that. Dundee’s need for a win was just as great as that of Aberdeen and Adam’s contribution was immense. He was the outstanding contender for the man of the match award.

“It was nice to get that, especially having been out for six or seven weeks and I have been struggling all week with illness as well,” he said.

“It’s good – I was just sitting there with a cup of tea looking at my bottle of champagne. At 35, times have changed. Once it was a beer but now it is a cup of tea, especially on a horrible night like that.

“It is not about me up against Scott Brown. I just go and do my own job. I know that if I perform to the capabilities I know I can then the team will play well, and that happened.

“Yes, you have to win your battles first and foremost, but I just enjoy playing football. But it is good to come and test yourself. You talk about these young boys coming through like Lewis Ferguson who are in the international scene, it is nice to go and test yourself at 35 – are you still capable of competing with these young boys? And that’s what I do to drive myself every week.

“If we keep performing like that as a team then we will push up the league.”

Adam will have an important part to play off the pitch as well as on it in the coming weeks. The skipper is continuing to negotiate on behalf of the players after a win bonus row at the club recently became public.

After nine league games something that is usually settled in the summer has still not been agreed. Dundee’s first three points of the season has brought the matter to attention again. Adam revealed he will sit down with managing director John Nelms this week.

“Listen, there is no issue with it,” he stressed. “We will get it sorted out in the next few weeks. Whatever the stories that have come out in the last couple of weeks about the lads, they showed they are not worried about win bonuses.

“You saw that from the performance. It will take its time. There is no rush. I will speak to John next week and will get it sorted. We are in a good place. We will go and enjoy this victory.”

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