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When Martin Adam emerged from the bench in Hungary’s opening game of Euro 2024, one million recordsdata superhighway memes followed.
Standing 6ft 3in sizable with an infinite red beard, the targetman immediate became a cult hero true by means of Europe, described as ‘an absolute unit’ and ‘the Hungarian Viking’.
Hailing from the village of Forraskut, his in a single day fame took some getting standard to, as he appeared as a sub in all three of Hungary’s games at the tournament.
Cult hero of the year
Adam changed into as soon as interviewed for the awards difficulty of FourFourTwo magazine, after being named our cult hero of the year.
“I don’t esteem to be the centre of attention, nonetheless I seemed to become very trendy,” he acknowledged of his summer. “There changed into as soon as a huge guy with a titanic beard who many came across out existed for the first time.
“You swish glean to understand handle it – I’m a laidback guy, so it wasn’t an difficulty. Some waste fun of my appearance, nonetheless this is how I glance.”
The targetman changed into as soon as a prolific goalscorer in Hungary with Paks – two-and-a-half of years ago, he nearly joined Luton City.
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“They wanted to worth me, nonetheless I serene had to glean employment points to invent a enable to work there,” he published. “That restriction’s since been removed, so I changed into as soon as glum.”
He in the end moved to South Korea with Ulsan HD, then earned a switch to Greek aspect Asteras Tripolis after his appearance at the Euros.
That didn’t go well, though: he left by mutual consent in November, with out scoring a league goal.
“Some of us thought I’d gather games on my have because of the summer hype, nonetheless my performance changed into as soon as far from that – I changed into as soon as immediate rebuked within the native press,” he acknowledged.
“I changed into as soon as looking out ahead to certain momentum, nonetheless I know the way necessary work I’m placing in to rob a glance at to expose issues around. I selected to return to Hungary somewhat than take a seat on a bench in Greece every weekend.”
Subsequent up: Wrexham?
Adam has since been procuring for his subsequent transfer, and the UK remains a dream – even League One, where Wrexham are chasing promotion beneath homeowners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
“I think English football would suit me – if an offer came, I wouldn’t think twice, I’d go immediately,” he acknowledged.
“Who knows? Maybe I would per chance be signed by Wrexham! Jokes aside, I’m well-known in Hungary and the A ways East, so I’ll potentially get offers from there. I want to level to myself to all americans in 2025, nonetheless basically to myself.”
The paunchy interview with Adam is in this month’s FourFourTwo magazine.
Chris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from 20 countries, in places as diverse as Jerusalem and the Arctic Circle. He’s interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (or no longer it is a long legend), as well to protecting the World Cup, Euro 2020 and the Clasico. He beforehand spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and executed the 92 in 2017.
