Is Che Adams Scottish? Who is England-born Southampton star - and why he is playing for Scotland in Euro 2020

When Scotland manager Steve Clarke names his starting XI for Friday night’s Euro 2020 clash against England, one of the first things that supporters will be looking out for is whether or not he has decided to start Che Adams.
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The 24-year-old striker has made quite the impact in his short international career to date, scoring twice in five appearances for the Tartan Army, but was initially benched for the 2-0 defeat against the Czech Republic on Monday afternoon.

The Southampton man came into the game at half-time to make his major tournament debut, but how did the Leicester-born talent end up playing for Scotland in the first place?

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We’ve got all the information you need to know about the forward, and his route to the Scottish national team, below...

Che Adams of Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Che Adams of Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Che Adams of Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Who is Che Adams?

Adams started his senior career with Sheffield United, arriving at the Blades as a teenager back in 2014.

The forward would go on to score 15 goals in 55 outings at Bramall Lane before securing a move to Birmingham City for a fee of around £2 million two years later.

During his stint in the midlands, Adams enjoyed a prolific run of form, scoring 22 goals over the course of the 2018/19 Championship season alone, and totalling 38 strikes in 123 appearances for the Blues.

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That purple patch was enough to convince Southampton to take him to the Premier League in a deal worth around £15 million.

Adams’ start to life in the English top flight was slow, and he had to wait until July of last year to score his first goal in a Saints shirt.

Three goals in the final two games of the season took his tally to four for the season, however, and since then he has looked much more comfortable at the highest level, hitting nine goals in 36 Premier League games this term.

Why does Che Adams play for Scotland?

Adams was born in Leicester, but qualifies to play for the Tartan Army through his maternal grandparents, who were both Scottish.

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The forward represented England twice at U20 level but has never been approached by the senior side, and having previously rebuffed an offer to switch his international allegiance back in 2017, made the decision to turn out for Scotland earlier this year.

Were any other members of Scotland’s Euro 2020 squad born in England?

Adams is one of three members of Scotland’s Euro 2020 side who were born south of the border.

Alongside the Saints forward, Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay and Leeds United defender Liam Cooper both made the decision to switch their international allegiances.

McTominay was born in Lancaster, but qualifies for the Tartan Army through his father, who was born in the coastal village of Rhu, Dunbartonshire.

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Similarly, Cooper hails from Hull, but is eligible to play for Scotland because his grandfather was born in Bo'ness, near Edinburgh.

Between them, the pair have already picked up 30 caps for their adopted national side, with both featuring in Monday’s defeat to the Czechs.