So who is Hungary striker Martin Adam? The powerful forward has been made a meme on social media after his Euro 2024 appearance as a substitute against Switzerland.
At 6ft 3in, with a bushy ginger beard and a no-nonsense buzz-cut, the 29-year-old looks more like a seasoned non-league player than an established international.
With a brawny frame, covered in tattoos, there is no missing Adam on the pitch. But those unfamiliar with Hungarian football are seeing the distinctive forward for the first time at Euro 2024.
🇭🇺🗣️ Hungary striker Martin Adam: "The posts? Of course one or two get to me, I usually have a laugh about it.""I was born this way, I have this body shape, I'm not saying that I was this big when I was born, but I have a basic, physique, genetics, I can't change that." (M4) pic.twitter.com/FVKdULGgpKJune 16, 2024
Who is Martin Adam?
Adam was very much a late bloomer on the international stage, only making his debut for Hungary in 2022. That was after a prolific 2021-22 season at Paksi, where he scored 31 goals in 32 appearances.
The Budapest native has made up for lost time since then, racking up 23 caps for Hungary and scoring three goals. He has regularly been utilised as an impact sub, unsurprising given his aerial prowess and box presence.
Adam began his professional career with Budapest outfit Vasas, proving an effective but unspectacular forward in the Hungarian second tier.
A few seasons in the top flight followed, before a move to Kaposvar. He spent two seasons there before making the switch to Paksi, where he would finally emerge as one of the country’s top strikers.
Prior to the 2021-22 season, Adam had not scored more than 10 league goals in any campaign, proving more useful as a target man bringing others into play. But the goals began to flow and he finished as the top scorer in Nemzeti Bajnoksag I.
That earned Adam a move abroad, to South Korean side Ulsan HD, where he has already won two K-League titles. He has contributed with goals, netting 17 times in 54 appearances, and registered nine assists during his time at the club to date.
Adam, who turns 30, will be hoping for more success for both club and country in the immediate future. But it is his appearance that has put him in the spotlight at Euro 2024, with some comments on social media bordering on mockery.
Asked if he had seen the various memes and online posts, Adam said: "Of course, one or two get back to me, usually I have a good laugh.
"I was born like this, this is my body shape. I can't say I was this size when I was born. I can't change that. I can't change genetics, so yeah that's all I can say about it."
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