Adam hopes to follow Scot greats

Powerhouses of world football they may not be, but Scotland has always played a big part in Liverpool's storied history.

From the club's early days at the end of the 19th century, when manager Tom Watson built a side labelled "The Team of the Macs" due to its largely Tartan origin, to some of the post-war legends - think Bill Shankly, Graeme Souness, Alan Hansen, Gary McAllister just for starters - the Celtic influence has always been in evidence at Anfield.

Kenny Dalglish, of course, is the greatest Red Scotsman of them all, and it was no surprise to see him turn to one of his countrymen this summer, as he looks to build a side to take Liverpool back to the very top of English football.

Charlie Adam's path to Anfield has been a long one, encompassing loan spells at the likes of Ross County and St Mirren along the way, but the 25-year-old finally got his wish as Dalglish paid Blackpool an initial £6.75m for his services last month.

Now, he is hoping to emulate his countrymen, and his manager, by making an immediate impression at the club.

"Plenty of good players have come down here from Scotland," says Adam. "It's nice to have the opportunity to work with a manager as respected as him and also back home as well.

"He was a hero in the national team and did a terrific job. It's an honour to say I can come and play under him."

Adam's move to Merseyside was initially due to happen back in January. But with Blackpool still fighting to avoid relegation to the Championship, their demands proved excessive for Liverpool, who were busy spending £57.8m on Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll at the time.

Seven months on, Adam has secured his dream move. And though he admits to some discomfort at Blackpool's eventual relegation, the former Rangers man says he could not be much happier.

"When you are at a club fighting relegation you know it will be diffiuclt to leave," he admits.

"The situation (in January) was that I wanted to come to a club like this. Blackpool said I couldn't go and I respected that.

"I think the performances I put in from January until the end of the season showed that I was 110 per cent behind the club. I wanted to help keep Blackpool in the league and it was disappointing we couldn't do that.

"But I'm just delighted to be here now as a Liverpool player. It's time to move on and look to the future."

Liverpool supporters are certainly doing so. Adam may not have scooped Blackpool's Player of the Season award last year (midfield colleague David Vaughan, who could line up against the Reds for Sunderland on the opening day of the season, was the players' choice), but he was undoubtedly their most influential player.

Twelve goals and nine assists steered Ian Holloway's side heartbreakingly close to Premier League survival, and convinced Dalglish that he was the man who could add a touch of class to the Reds' midfield.

And whilst a move from Blackpool to Liverpool represents a huge change for any player, Adam is confident he can cope with the pressure that comes with wearing the red shirt.

"I was at a big club at Rangers," he says. "I played nearly 100 games there. I know what expectation is about. I've played in the Champions League so at the end of the day I know what it will mean to play for this club.

"We need to win every week, that's the expectation. At Blackpool last year we weren't expected to win every week, but this year, at Liverpool, we will be.

"That's a good challenge for the lads and part and parcel of being at a big club.

"But even when I was at Blackpool and we were going to Old Trafford we wanted to win the game. At the end of the day it didn't happen and no-one expected us to. But now the onus is on us.

"We have to go and win games from the start. Everyone will come to beat us.

"It's a good challenge having to win week in, week out and it's one I'm really looking forward to."

Source: The Echo

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