On 31 August 2012 Adam signed a four-year contract at Stoke City for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £4 million. He made his debut for Stoke the following day in a 2–2 draw against Wigan Athletic. After leaving Liverpool, Adam stated he left in order to play more games. He scored his first goal for Stoke in a 1–0 victory against Queens Park Rangers on 10 November 2012. He scored in another 1–0 win for Stoke two weeks later against Fulham. Adam was given compassionate leave after his father died on 17 December 2012. Adam then spent three months in and out of the team before returning to the starting line up in April and scored the winning goal against Norwich City which eased Stoke's relegation worries. He dedicated his goal to his father. Adam ended the 2012–13 season a poor note, being sent off against Tottenham Hotspur for two bookable offences.