The first player to represent England born after the 1966 World Cup win, Adams made his debut against Spain in 1987. He went to Euro ’88 the following year, where he scored against the Soviet Union, but Bobby Robson’s side finished bottom of their group.
Adams nonetheless looked set to be an important component of England’s future, with his doughty defending and organisational skills coming to the fore – but he was left out of the squad for Italia ’90 only a year on from helping Arsenal to the First Division title.
Despite not featuring once in qualifying for the competition, Derby’s Mark Wright was preferred to the young Gunners captain. In fairness, the Rams defender played a significant role for England after Bobby Robson switched to a back three following a stodgy opening game against the Republic of Ireland – and even grabbed the only goal in the Three Lions’ 1-0 win over Egypt.