Birmingham City will be glad of Gary Rowett persistence over Sheffield United deal | OneFootball

Despite having two bids rejected, Blues are indebted to their ex-manager over a signing that has since blossomed into a Flower of Scotland.

It took determination and overcoming numerous setbacks, but Gary Rowett was over the moon when he landed his number one transfer target at Birmingham City back in August 2016.

Rowett firmly believed then-Sheffield United centre-forward Ché Adams was what Blues needed to add further firepower to their rapid renaissance under him. And, despite having two bids for Adams rejected by the Blades, he finally got his man for a reported £1.5 million.

A couple of weeks after he signed, the then-Blues manager described Adams as "a really, really exciting prospect," speaking to Birmingham Live.

The Scottish international eventually departed St Andrew's in July 2019 and is currently plying his trade in Italy, after recently signing for Serie A outfit Torino. Here, Football League World looks at the way Birmingham refined Adams into the player he is today and why the club will be thankful Rowett was so insistent on securing his services.

Ché Adams profile

Born in Leicester to an English mother and an Antiguan father, the Blades plucked Adams from non-league Ilkeston in November 2014. He made 13 appearances in his first season and scored three goals. This included the equaliser in their thrilling 5-5 play-off second leg against Swindon Town, which the Blades lost 7-6 on aggregate.

He eventually featured 55 times for the club, scoring 15 goals, before swapping South Yorkshire for the West Midlands in 2016. Although Rowett was controversially dismissed a few months after bringing Adams to Birmingham, the striker remained at the club for three years, scoring 38 times in 123 games.

Adams' remarkable rise from non-league to Premier League was confirmed in 2019 when he signed for Southampton for a reported £15 million, meaning Blues returned a ten-fold profit on him. He scored 48 goals for the Saints in 191 appearances, including 15 in the Championship as the South Coast side returned to the Premier League at the first attempt last season.

However, after the Saints opted not to extend his contract, he made the switch to Piedmont on a free transfer. He's made a great start to life in Northern Italy but recently picked up an injury.

Eligible to represent three countries internationally, Adams committed to Scotland in 2021 despite previously featuring in the England youth setup. He has scored six times in 33 matches for his country and represented the Tartan Army at EURO 2020 and 2024.

Relationship with Rowett

Despite being sacked not long after signing Adams, the Scotland international remained a keen target for Rowett when in jobs elsewhere. He reportedly tabled a £3 million bid for him at Derby County in 2017, but it was rejected by Blues.

"He's a player we know," Rowett told the media at the time. "I signed him because I felt he was an immensely talented boy at 21."

The move to Pride Park never materialised but that did not stop Rowett. After he was appointed Stoke City manager following the 2017/18 season, Adams came back to haunt his former boss after scoring the only goal for Blues in their 1-0 defeat of the Potters in October 2018.

This prompted rumours of a fresh raid on St Andrew's by Rowett for Adams, with reports suggesting the Potters were to bid £5 million in January 2019. However, he was sacked that same month - with Adams joining Southampton in the summer.

After a four-year stint at Millwall, Rowett returned to the Second City on an interim basis in February of this year but couldn't steer Blues clear of relegation to League One.

Perseverance key to vital Brum payday

Although money no longer seems an issue at St Andrew's, the club were heading for financial difficulties around the time of Adams' departure. Jude Bellingham's reported £20 million move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020 is hailed as helping save the club, but the importance of Adams' move the year before cannot be underestimated either.

The fact is, Rowett had two bids for him turned down when he was in Blues' dugout before the transfer was finally accepted. In just three years, Adams developed from a young gem with great potential into a mature bagsman ready for the Premier League, in true Jamie Vardy fashion. Blues cashed in and Southampton rewarded Rowett's work with a huge payday.

Adams has remained on a path towards the peak of his career, following in the footsteps of former teammate Bellingham and heading for the continent to prove his worth is even greater. And whilst Rowett has also departed the Second City, Blues fans will be glad their former boss tirelessly pushed to bring Adams into St Andrew's and enabled him to blossom into the player we see today.