Che Adams: could Southampton striker play for Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad - and links to country explained

The Southampton striker could feature in Steve Clarke’s next squad, according to reports

Che Adams has impressed for Southampton this season (Getty Images)

Scotland could be on the verge of calling up Southampton star Che Adams.

The England-born forward has rejected Scotland’s advances in the past, but, according to the Daily Record, Steve Clarke has persuaded Adams to pull on the navy blue of Scotland.

Adams has enjoyed a breakout season at St Mary’s, scoring seven times and assisting four times in the league.

And the 24-year-old is reportedly in line to take part in Scotland’s World Cup qualifiers against Austria, Israel and Faroe Islands.

Here’s why he qualifies to play for Steve Clarke’s side

How does Che Adams qualify to play for Scotland?

Che Adams was born in Leicester but has family ties north of the border.

Adams qualifies to play for the tartan army through a maternal grandparent.

The striker has previously played for England’s under-20 side and is also eligible to play for Antigua and Barbuda.

Alex McLeish previously tried to tempt Adams into joining the Scotland setup in 2017 and 2019, but Adams declined to commit.

What has Steve Clarke said and what did the Daily Record story say?

Steve Clarke indicated in January that he would be reluctant to chase players who have shown reluctance to join the setup, saying: “if players have been approached to play for the national team and have turned us down, then i'm not so keen to go chasing after them.

He added: "I think it's up to them to come chasing us".

According to the Daily Record “Adams never closed the door on Scotland and the chance to play at this summer’s Euro 2020 finals was a massive pull.”

And the title has suggested that Adams has now committed his future to Scotland.

A report said: “On-form Che Adams has committed his international future to Scotland.

“The Southampton striker has agreed to pull on the dark blue after a series of positive discussions with national boss Steve Clarke.”

The report also claims that Stuart Armstrong has been “in the ear” of the striker, persuading him to join the Scotland setup.

Steve Clarke indicated earlier this month that there may be a surprise or two in the squad for the World Cup qualifiers.

He said:

He said: “I don’t think there will be too many surprises for the Euros. The players who did the hard work and got us qualified deserve first chance.

“But before we get to the Euros we have three games in March so there might be one or two surprises in that squad.

“I need to pick a bigger squad because we have three games in a week, a very short period of time, and maybe one or two in that squad might force themselves into my plans for the summer.”

When is Scotland’s squad announced?

Scotland face Austria, Israel and Faroe Islands during the next international break.

The games are to be played on March 25, 28 and 31 respectively

The squad for the beginning of the campaign will be unveiled on March 16.