Charlie Adam insists Patrik Schick’s stunning strike against Scotland isn’t as good as his own long-range wondergoal at Chelsea.
Czech Republic striker Schick stunned Scotland in his country’s 2-0 win on Monday as he spotted David Marshall off his line before netting from 49.7 yards, the longest-ever goal in European Championship history.
The Bayer Leverkusen star later revealed he plotted the strike earlier in the game after noticing Marshall’s tendency to keep a high line.
WHAT. A. GOAL.
Patrik Schick scores for the Czech Republic from the halfway line.#SCO 0-2 #CZE
📲💻📺 Watch live: https://t.co/XJ464KbERY#bbceuros #euro2020 pic.twitter.com/p8DjWwZeVQ
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 14, 2021
The goal brought back memories for Dundee star Adam, who beat Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois from 67 yards in Stoke City’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Chelsea in 2015.
Speaking on DCT Media’s Euro 2020 videocast, hosted by Sean Hamilton from The Courier and Ryan Cryle from The Press & Journal, Adam insisted his Stamford Bridge stunner has not been eclipsed by Schick.
“My goal was better,” said Adam. “I was 67 yards out at Stamford Bridge against the best goalkeeper in the world!”
Adam’s Stamford Bridge stunner
With Stoke trailing at Chelsea, Adam spotted Courtois off his line and unleashed an unstoppable left-foot strike from inside his own half to draw his side level.
Stoke eventually went on to lose the game 2-1 but Adam was widely praised for having scored one of the best goals in Premier League history.
He looked back on the best goal of his career as he joined former Scotland boss Craig Brown in the videocast to pick apart Scotland’s defeat and look ahead to Friday’s clash with England at Wembley.
Marshall has been widely criticised for his positioning at the Schick strike, with a series of memes on social media created using the image of the Scotland No 1 running back to goal.
Team-mate Jack Hendry has also come in for flak for his poorly-executed strike that lead to the Czech breakaway.
And Dark Blues captain Adam, capped 26 times by Scotland, admits Marshall left himself susceptible by holding a high line as his team-mates attacked.
“If you look at Marshall’s positioning and what Schick said, there’s something in it,” added Adam.
Look how far up David Marshall was on Schick's worldie 🤔 pic.twitter.com/C7uj1vmPrf
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 14, 2021
“When I scored that goal at Chelsea, I knew where Courtois was on the pitch. That’s you doing your homework before the game, something you look at.
“You know that if you’ve got the ability to score from there – if the ball drops to you – to do the homework .
“I knew that Courtois was so far off his line at times because Chelsea played a high line.
“They liked to play with a sweeper-keeper, Ederson (Manchester City) does it a lot now in England and Alisson (Liverpool) is the same.
“Marshall, for me, is probably ten or 15 yards too far forward but it’s still a helluva strike to go from there.
“If we are going to nit-pick, yes Hendry could have played it wide but he has the shot.
“I think Grant Hanley is on the wrong side of Schick – he’s ten yards off him.
“Cooper is too far over so if Hanley is defending on the other side he doesn’t have the opportunity to come over.
“Craig Brown has coached and managed at international level and small details kill you.
“That’s what has done us for that goal.
“Marshy’s done an incredible job for us over the years and got us there with the penalty saves but, on the day, has been done by a bit of quality.”
Patrik Schick did a ‘Lawrence Shankland’
Brown praised Schick for his execution of the strike but admits it isn’t the first time he’s seen a goal of such quality.
He highlighted Dundee United and Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland’s halfway-line effort against St Johnstone earlier in the season as being a match for Schick’s effort.
“Lawrence Shankland had a great strike like that recently,” said Brown. “It’s been done before.
“You don’t have to be a £30 million striker to do that – Charlie is only a £28 million player and he did it!”