Having been released from Coventry’s academy aged 14, Ché Adams then had to follow the old-fashoned route into professional football by working his way through the non-league route before Sheffield United, resurrected his career by signing him for a six-figure fee on a two year deal in 2014. After a spell at Birmingham during which he benefitted, he said, from intensive coaching from ex-Saint James Beattie he signed for Southampton for a fee of £15million and given a five-year deal. With Danny Ings arriving the same window the two were soon in tandem and Adams arguably enjoyed his most productive football alongside the ex-Liverpool striker.

Solidly built he was a powerful presence who could run at pace, but frustratingly he was prone to miss sitters while scoring the odd “worldie”. First capped for Scotland while a Saints player – his maternal grandmother had been born there – he participated in the 2024 Euros which had followed on immediately from him helping Saints regain their Premier League status via the play-offs at Wembley. That summer his contract expired and although Saints offered him a new deal he finally decided to try his luck at Torino, thereby following in the footsteps of another Scottish international forward, Dennis Law.