10 Great Premier League one-season wonders of the decade (2010-2019)

#2 Charlie Adam

Charlie Adam never recaptured the form he showed at Blackpool in 2010-11

Scottish midfielder Charlie Adam was an integral part of the Blackpool side that gained unexpected promotion to the Premier League in the 2009-10 season, but nobody really expected him to make much of an impact in England’s top flight. Surprisingly, that idea couldn’t have been much further from the case.

The Scotsman was fantastic for the Seasiders during the 2010-11 season despite their eventual relegation, and he managed to score 12 goals and register eight assists in his 35 appearances, essentially attempting to keep Ian Holloway’s side in the Premier League single-handedly. He didn’t manage that, but his performances earned him a nomination for the PFA Player’s Player of the Year award.

Just weeks after suffering relegation, Adam moved to Liverpool for a fee of £6.75m, but unfortunately, the midfielder simply couldn’t recreate his Blackpool form on the bigger stage. A handful of highs were outweighed by lows – a red card against Tottenham, and a penalty miss in the EFL Cup final shootout against Cardiff – and it came as no surprise when he moved to Stoke City in the summer of 2012.

Even at Stoke though, the Scotsman struggled for form, with seven goals being his best return and a reputation as a dirty player gained along the way. In seven Premier League seasons, he never really came close to recapturing the magic of his debut term.