Charlie Adam announces his retirement on Instagram after a 20-year career including 36 Scotland caps

Charlie Adam has announced his retirement from football, with the former Scotland international midfielder instead turning his attention to his coaching career, ending a 20-year career.

The 36-year-old was capped 26 times for his country and had spells at Rangers, Liverpool, Stoke City and Dundee, as well as four other teams, and looks set to make the transition into coaching, something he is ‘incredibly passionate about’.

Adam had spent more than two months without a club after leaving Dundee for a second time in July, after helping them win promotion back to the Scottish Premiership in 2021.

In a heartfelt message on Instagram, the former midfielder thanked his family and friends for their support over the years, writing on Wednesday: ‘I feel now is the right time to announce my retirement as a player.

‘I’ve been lucky enough to play for some of the biggest clubs in the world, from Champions League nights at Ibrox for Rangers, winning promotion to the Premier League as Blackpool captain, pulling on the famous Liverpool shirt and scoring in front of The Kop , eight incredible seasons at Stoke City to guide my boyhood club to promotion and play 26 times for Scotland – It hasn’t been a bad ride.

‘A huge thank you to Glasgow Rangers, Ross County, St Mirren, Blackpool, Liverpool, Stoke City, Reading and Dundee supporters – hopefully I’ve given you all some memorable moments along the way.

‘For now it’s time for me to move into coaching, something I feel incredibly passionate about and have enjoyed for the past few months.

‘I would like to thank my parents, my sister and brothers, my wife Sophie, children Jack, Anabella and Louis and all my family and friends for their support over the past 20 years – couldn’t have done any of it without you.

“It has been a pleasure.”

The post was accompanied by footage of a young Adam signing a three-year contract as an apprentice for Rangers in 2003 aged just 17, followed by highlights from his time at Rangers, Blackpool and Liverpool among others.

In total, the 36-year-old made 488 appearances at senior level, assisting 83 and scoring 88 goals, perhaps his most memorable coming at Stoke.

When the Scotland international received the ball well inside his own half, then-Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saw him off his line and unleashed a flawless shot that sailed over the Belgian’s head for 1-1 in April 2015.