“It’s nice to score for Scotland, it’s not happened much since I’ve been here.”
Fresh from scoring Scotland’s first hat-trick in just under six years, and only the sixth since 1969, Che Adams was remarkably candid.
Left foot, right foot, header – the perfect hat-trick will hopefully serve as a confidence boost for the 28-year-old who has struggled, like many, to fire for Scotland.
The team’s trip to face Liechtenstein had become much more important than they’d have liked, after Friday night’s ignominious Hampden defeat by Iceland.
Beating a side ranked 161 places below them was viewed as a given, and any lingering nerves were calmed when Adams lashed in the opener just four minutes into the game – a smart, reactive finish following a sliced Lennon Miller shot.
A driven reverse shot wrong-footed Liechtenstein’s Benjamin Buchel for his second 20 minutes later, before Adams flashed in a header with the final touch of the ball to wrap up his hat-trick.
“I’m happy to get on the scoresheet and help the team,” Adams said.
“We knew it’d be difficult, the conditions weren’t great, but we were very professional and our mentality was spot on.
“It was important to sign off this year with the win. We’re happy we put things right from the Iceland game.”
He bagged goals seven, eight and nine for the national side on his 39th cap to get back to scoring ways in dark blue for the first time in just over a year, but it’s now three years since his last competitive strike.
This hat-trick, though, could hopefully spark a revival for the Torino forward, who also assisted George Hirst for his first international goal.
Adams has been routinely called upon by Clarke to pitch in up top, and Monday was perhaps an indication as to why.
“It’s great for Adams to get his hat-trick,” former Scotland defender Willie Miller said on BBC Radio Scotland. “It will give him huge confidence.”
Adams started alongside Hirst in the Rheinpark Stadion, a formation that Lyndon Dykes, who has started up top with Adams on multiple occasions, credits with getting the best out of him.
Dykes said: “At the end of the day, everyone does get judged on goals in that position, so obviously scoring a hat-trick tonight will make him feel much better playing back in a Scotland shirt.
“Going forward, he’ll take that confidence into the next games, I think the formations we played tonight definitely helped the game with the two up front.”
Adams made his debut in March 2021, coming off the bench during a 2-2 draw against Austria in Scotland’s World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign opener.
His first goal came two games later against the Faroe Islands, but, like many Scotland forwards, he has struggled for consistency in front of goal.
At the time, he was playing Premier League football with Southampton.
Only four of his nine goals have come in competitive games, but he does contribute when not scoring, averaging a goal or assist every 3.5 games.
A sole strike in a 4-1 win over Armenia in the Nations League in June 2022 was his last competitive contribution.
He has scored in seven different games for Scotland, who have never lost a game when he gets on the scoresheet.
“It will be great for his confidence,” former Scotland captain Scott Brown told BBC Scotland.
“I know every striker is judged on goals, but at the same time, it’s his performance and work rate as well.
“What he does for the team, too, his hold-up play and link-up play have been really, really good for Scotland.
“That’s why the manager chose to start him today. To get three goals is pretty much the icing on the cake, with the last literal touch of the ball as well.”
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