Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill pulled off a major coup in the summer 2012 transfer window by securing the services of England winger Adam. The arrival of the local lad really captured the imagination of Sunderland fans, who whipped the club's social media pages into a frenzy following the confirmation of his signing.

Easington-born Adam kicked off his career at Middlesbrough, where he made his senior debut in a UEFA Cup game against Sporting Clube de Portugal at the tender age of just 17 in 2005.

Almost six months later, he made his Premier League debut, deputising for the injured Stewart Downing in a 2–1 home win for Boro over Arsenal. In a bid to gain experience, the next couple of seasons would see the winger enjoy fruitful loan spells at Leeds United and Watford.

During his three-month stint at Watford, the winger turned in a number of impressive displays, notching 12 goals – it was no coincidence that the Hornets' form dipped following his departure. On his return to the Riverside, Adam finally made his breakthrough.

One of his most memorable moments in a Boro shirt came in the final game of the 2007 where he scored 18-yard screamer moments after coming on as a substitute in their 8–1 victory over Manchester City. He was an integral part of Boro's 2009-10 Championship campaign, however, the Teesiders missed out on promotion back to the Premier League and it seemed that his departure would be imminent.

A £7m move to Manchester City would follow and during his three seasons at the Etihad Stadium the pacy winger made 97 appearances, winning the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield. Adam has represented England at both under-19 and under-21 levels. At the time of putting pen to paper with Sunderland he had 11 England caps to his name plus two goals.