Che Adams: Birmingham foward back on tract after tragic death of his father
20-year-old dreaming of the Premier League after putting dark days behind him
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CHE ADAMS has revealed how he lost his way last season after the death of his dad.
But those dark days are now finally behind him as the Birmingham forward dreams of Premier League football.
The Blues are right in the early-season promotion mix ahead of today’s clash at top-six rivals Huddersfield.
And Adams, 20, is finally enjoying his football again after the heartache of losing his dad midway through last season, when he was at Sheffield United.
He joined the Blues over the summer for around £1.5million and is now helping the club mount a surprise promotion bid.
Adams chose to play against Oldham in the FA Cup shortly after his father died, but ended up getting sent off.
And he said: “It was a tough time. After it happened, I got the red card.
“What happened affected me slowly. I didn’t think much of it, but the manager pulled me to one side and said he thought it was affecting me.
“So he said it was better for me to stay out of the team and concentrate on myself.”
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Adams has never previously spoken publicly about his dad’s passing, which had a big part to play in his mid-season dip — and he is reluctant to expand further.
He had started the season brightly, with seven goals in his first 13 games.
Yet he struggled midway through the campaign as he battled to come to terms with what happened, before picking up form towards the end.
His talent drew many admirers, but in the end it was Birmingham who stumped up the cash to bring him to St Andrew’s.
It is a pretty impressive rise for a kid deemed not good enough by Coventry, who released him at 14.
It meant he had to scrap it out in the non-league game to realise his professional football dream.
The Leicester-born lad added: “I’ve been taking it all in slowly.
“It’s a good achievement to come from non-league and play in the Championship now. I’m just happy to be here.
“I was under-14s when I got released at Coventry. They said I wouldn’t develop as a player.
“So I went on trial at a couple of teams in League One, but nothing really came about. I went into non-league and just started from there.
“The rejection was a tough one to take in, but there are kids who want to do well and those that just sack it off.
“Thankfully, I was one who wanted to keep grinding.”
Adams battled it out as a boy against men in the rough and tumble of the non-league game, playing for Leicestershire-based outfit Oadby Town before a short stint at Ilkeston.
He believes he benefitted from his time below the top four tiers.
However, he admitted that if Sheffield United had not spotted him at 18, he was ready to start looking for another line of work.
Adams added: “Non-league was good for me. The physicality of playing against men at a young age worked out well.
“Playing down at that level gives you something to think about. They’re not the nicest of games, but you get there!
“We used to travel on the day with coaches, but nowadays we go the day before and stay in a hotel. The pitches were a big difference, too, as were the players.
“I still talk to most of the guys I played with in non-league — they’re all doing well.
“Some of them came into the professional game, at teams like Fleetwood and Peterborough. Some have stayed there.
“When I was 18, I felt that it was time to look for a job and grind out that way.
“I thought about doing something with sport, like personal training. Maybe working in the gym and playing football on the side.
“But I went to Sheffield at 18, so that was quite lucky. It was massive and such a proud moment. I didn’t know how to take it.”
If Adams was blown away by his big Football League opportunity at Bramall Lane, just imagine how he will respond if he is playing in the Prem next year.
But that is now a very real possibility, with Blues going great guns under Gary Rowett.
Despite their modest resources, they are a match for anyone in this division — as they proved in last week’s 1-1 derby draw against Aston Villa, which they were unlucky not to win.
Adams has played a key part in their development this season and is confident Brum can do the unthinkable and beat a host of richer clubs to win promotion.
He added: “Everyone plays football to play at the highest level — and that’s something I hope to do with Birmingham this season.
“If not, then we’ll go again next season. Everyone wants to play in the Premier League — that’s definitely my aim.”
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