Adams ready for challenge

By Jonathan Stevenson

TONY ADAMS Born: 10/10/1966, Romford Club: Arsenal (1983-2002), 504 league apps, 32 goals International: 66 England caps, five goals Honours: League title (1989, 1991, 1998, 2002); FA Cup (1993, 1998, 2002); European Cup-winners Cup (1994); Charity Shield (1991, 1998)

In August 2002 Tony Adams walked away from football, saying he needed time away from the game he loved and had served so well for so many years.

Now, just 15 months later, the Arsenal and England legend has found football's lure too strong, and is ready to begin his career in management with Division Two basement boys Wycombe.

Adams was deluged with coaching offers as soon as his retirement from the game was confirmed after nearly 700 appearances for the Gunners.

After all, footballers with so much experience of both the game and life are not 10-a-penny. Adams experienced the whole gamut of emotions in his illustrious 18-year professional career.

He made his debut at the tender age of 17 in November 1983 against Sunderland, and his rise to the top of the game was astonishingly rapid.

By 1987 Adams had made his England debut against Spain, and a year later he became Arsenal's youngest ever captain, leading them to their memorable league championship triumph in 1989.

Adams appointed Wycombe boss

But so much success at such an early time in his life sent Adams down a path that would haunt a great part of his footballing life.

In 1990, after the World Cup finals in Italy, he was jailed for drink-driving and served two months of his sentence, before returning to the fray to help Arsenal to another championship medal.

But, as Adams' sporting career continued to blossom, with cup wins for club and caps for country, the heavy drinking continued.

Adams was distraught after losing to Germany in Euro '96

He hit rock-bottom after England were dumped out of the semi-finals of Euro 1996 by Germany.

Adams had been magnificent throughout the tournament, but defeat sent him spiralling into a pit of despair from which he struggled to resurface.

In his autobiography Addicted, he revealed he went on a seven-week binge, sinking 20 pints of beer a day as his problems escalated out of control.

Adams knew he needed help and eventually admitted he was an alcoholic at the same time his wife Jane was being treated for drug addiction.

Making the decision to ask for help signalled a new dawn in the life of Tony Adams - a new dawn that prolonged his career and almost certainly his life too.

Adams calls it a day

He led Arsenal to two more Doubles, in 1998 and 2002, and played out his final days with a maturity both on and off the field that belied his earlier misdemeanours.

He also founded his own charity, Sporting Chance, which offers support to footballers addicted to alcohol and dugs.

After a year away from the game and having turned down plenty of offers, Adams has earned the right to have a crack at management.

Few would wish him anything but the greatest of success.

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