From 'little doubts' to topping table - Adams on Torino move

Che Adams lifted nan Derbyshire Senior Cup successful beforehand of 694 fans.

Ten years agone a 17-year-old Adams helped Ilkeston hit Glossop North End 2-0, nan striker winning a second-half punishment to declare nan trophy.

A decade later - a travel from nan Northern Premier League to bluish Italy via Sheffield, Birmingham and Southampton - he made his Serie A debut for Torino successful a 2-2 tie pinch AC Milan astatine nan San Siro.

Two goals successful 5 convention games for his caller nine has helped nan Granata to nan top, instantly justifying his determination to switch St Mary's for nan Stadio Olimpico and allowing him immoderate moments of reflection.

"It's crazy. In football, it's truthful difficult to look backmost connected these things because you're ever astir nan adjacent crippled aliases nan adjacent training session," Adams tells BBC Sport, having moved connected a free transfer from nan Saints successful nan summer.

"You can't really beryllium down and deliberation astir what you've achieved successful your career. So erstwhile thing for illustration that is mentioned it brings backmost bully memories and makes maine really proud.

"That's why I wanted to travel retired present because I've not needfully had a normal footballing career. I want to look backmost pinch nary regrets, knowing I've maximized everything I could."

Adams, signed by Sheffield United from Ilkeston soon aft that cup triumph, is portion of nan increasing Scottish contingent successful Italy, pinch Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour joining Napoli this summer.

Former Celtic midfielder Liam Henderson - who captained Empoli successful their 2-1 Coppa Italia triumph astatine Torino connected Tuesday, successful which Adams scored - has played successful nan state for six years, while Lewis Ferguson is astatine Bologna and Josh Doig plays for Sassuolo, via Verona.

Torino person made their Scotland world consciousness astatine home, though, aft 5 years astatine Southampton - pinch Adams' unveiling video filmed successful 1 of Turin's Irish bars - and he is taking Italian lessons.

"It's scary. It's real-life stuff, particularly if you person small kids. You person small doubts if you've taken nan correct decision, if it's nan champion for nan family," says nan 28-year-old, pinch his family dividing their clip betwixt England and Italy.

"It was really difficult - conscionable changing our full lives - and leaving is normal for a footballer, but your partner has to prime up each nan pieces.

"But it's wanting to grow my experience, to study astir myself, study astir nan different measurement of life and nan shot broadside arsenic well. Everyone knows shot is simply a short profession and I don't want to look backmost connected it erstwhile I'm retired and think: 'Oh, I wish I'd done that aliases I wish I'd done that'.

"To only person played successful England aliases to play for 1 nine - immoderate group evidently want that successful position of information and stableness - but I came up nan non-league way, and I've ever fought my measurement successful and had a different experience."

Adams confesses he will miss Sunday roast dinners, but has thrown himself into life successful Italy - pinch trips to Lake Como and Milan.

He follows Denis Law arsenic a Scot playing for Torino - while Graeme Souness had 4 months arsenic head successful 1997 aft besides leaving Southampton - but why Turin?

"The history of nan nine speaks nan loudest successful position of what happened pinch nan level clang and really bully nan squad was," he says, referencing nan 1949 Superga aerial disaster which claimed nan lives of nan Grande Torino team, who won 5 titles.

"They want to get backmost to that modular again and that's what they really instilled successful me, to conscionable move my caput a small spot differently."

To get backmost to nan apical has only taken Adams and caller head Paolo Vanoli, a erstwhile Rangers defender, 5 Serie A games.

Adams scored nan victor successful nan 3-2 triumph astatine Verona past week to send Torino to nan summit and combat immoderate pre-season pessimism, which has seen clash betwixt supporters and proprietor Urbano Cairo.

That came aft erstwhile leader Ivan Juric - appointed Roma head past week - left, having guided Torino to ninth past season, while cardinal defenders Alessandro Buongiorno and Raoul Bellanova joined Napoli and Atalanta respectively.

Vanoli replaced Juric aft taking Venezia from 2nd bottommost of Serie B to promotion successful 19 months.

After Torino scored conscionable 36 convention goals past season, it is besides easy to spot why Adams - who netted 16 times to thief Southampton to promotion from nan Championship past word - was successful demand.

He repaid that religion connected his afloat debut, pinch a extremity and an assistance successful a 2-1 comeback triumph against Atalanta.

Now, arsenic early pacesetters, they big Lazio connected Sunday. Few would backmost Torino lasting nan pace, but it does not extremity a intelligibly relaxed Adams from revelling successful his caller surroundings.

"They want to purpose high. Hopefully we tin enactment astir location and that's lined up pinch what I want successful this shape of my career," he says, having enjoyed nan subtle differences successful Italy - for illustration travelling to past month's crippled astatine Venezia by boat.

"You tin beryllium nan apical feline 1 week and past nan zero nan next. It's conscionable astir being humble, which is what nan head wants. He conscionable says to enactment humble, we're doing that and, if we support going, we'll beryllium fine."