The European Championship is fantastic for rediscovering forgotten cult heroes and finding new ones. Xherdan Shaqiri belongs in the former category as the quintessential tournament footballer, a player renowned for scoring wonder goals for Switzerland every couple of summers before fading quietly into obscurity until the next one. Martin Adam, aka the “Hungarian Viking”, is in the latter group.
Previously unknown outside his homeland and South Korea where he plays his club football, the Action Bronson lookalike with a strongman’s physique has become an overnight sensation since appearing in Hungary’s opening game against Switzerland. Adam has been called an “absolute unit” and described as “someone who looks like they collect debts” by commentators. Numerous “football is healing” comments have done the rounds too, with Adam seen as the poster boy for the return to fashion of the big, burly striker and by association, the death of tiki-taka .
Most comments have been complimentary, but predictably not all of them have. Adam has been a victim of body shaming, which he addressed in a press conference last week. Read Next Turkey's win over Georgia gave me a feeling I haven't felt in a long time “Of course one or two get to me, I usually have a laugh about it,” he said.
“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.
” He may look like a typic.
