Player Profile

Having signed Rickie Lambert from Southampton on 2 June Liverpool attempted to also buy Lambert’s teammate and the Saints’ captain, Adam Lallana, before the 2014 World Cup finals commenced in Brazil. England’s early exit from that tournament meant that almost as soon as the player had landed back on British soil the transfer saga resumed with interest. The Saints’ reluctance to accept Liverpool’s initial offer of twenty million pounds stemmed from the 25% sell-on clause they would have to pay when the Hertfordshire-born youngster moved from Bournemouth’s Centre of Excellence to Southampton’s Academy soon after the millennium. Once Liverpool had upped their offer by about twenty-five per cent from the original figure, there was nothing to stop the midfielder making the move north.

The youngster had progressed well after he had made the short move along the south coast from Dorset to Hampshire as a twelve-year-old. Southampton reached the F.A. Youth Cup final in 2005 where they were narrowly beaten on aggregate by Ipswich Town, and they were beaten semi-finalists a year later. The 2006/07 season saw young Adam appear in Southampton’s senior team for the first time when he played against Yeovil Town in the League Cup in August followed three days later by his first Football League appearance against Preston North End. But he only made the senior match-day squad on four more occasions during that season. In the autumn of 2007, Southampton allowed him to return to Bournemouth on a one-month loan deal and he made three appearances for the Cherries in League One plus one in the Football League Trophy before making five more appearances in The Championship after returning to Southampton. With his teenage years now behind him, the big breakthrough came in 2008/09. Although his club had a miserable season finishing second from bottom and being relegated to League One, Lallana played in 40 of the 46 league matches, scoring once in an early-season defeat at Loftus Road by Queens Park Rangers (he also scored in a League Cup victory over Birmingham City).

Two quick relegations had dented the club’s pride but not the resolve of its players to rectify things on the pitch. Adam Lallana was a regular member of the team that returned Southampton to the Championship in 2011 and to the Premier League after a seven-year absence in 2012, at which point he was named club captain. In that second promotion season, Adam’s reputation grew as not just a goal-scorer but also a goal-maker. It wasn’t a surprise that he adapted well to life in the top division. At the time Liverpool made their move in the late-spring/early-summer of 2014 Lallana had appeared in just under 90% of Southampton’s league fixtures in the previous two seasons and had contributed twelve goals as the Saints re-established themselves as a Premier League club by finishing 14th in 2013 before climbing to a very creditable 8th in 2014. During 2013/14 he broke into the England squad, making his debut in a friendly against Chile at Wembley then in the World Cup he featured in all three of England's group games.

A player who is equally strong with both feet, Lallana's technique allows him to seemingly glide past the opposition despite him not being the quickest or strongest of players. Probably, along with Emre Can, he was the most successful of the summer signings of 2014, quite possibly because he had prior knowledge of the English game. Although his strike rate wasn't as good as it had been at Southampton many of his goals there had come in the lower divisions. Lallana was in and out of the team in the first half of the season but made twenty-one of his forty-one appearances after the turn of the year. His joy at opening his scoring account for his new club against West Bromwich Albion in October was there for all to see and he would add five more goals before the end of the season. In 2015/16 he started 38 games in all competitions and his best moment was probably the last gasp winning goal in a bizarre 5-4 win at Norwich in which the Reds had conceded an injury-time equaliser. 

Lallana improved in 2016/17, appearing in 31 Premier League games and scoring eight goals. His development was rewarded with a new three-year contract in February 2017. The 2017/18 campaign was one of frustration, however, and blighted by injury. Lallana did play an hour of the Champions League final though, coming on as a substitute for the injured Mo Salah. Although he maintained his fitness for most of 2018/19, Lallana's opportunities were limited and he made just six starts in all competitions. He was again used sparingly in 2019/20 when Liverpool won the league for the first time in thirty years. He made a crucial contribution though, scoring a late equaliser at Old Trafford in that maintained their unbeaten start to the season. when his contract expired in June the season had  not been completed due to the Covid 19 pandemic, but he agreed a short term deal to stay providing he was only used if required. He was named on the bench for Liverpool's final home game against Chelsea, after which he trophy was presented.

Lallana returned to the south coast when he signed for Brighton right before the last round of the victorious 2019/20 Premier League season. On 20th October 2021 he as warmly received by the Kop when he played for Brighton at Anfield, helping his side come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2. At the end of his four seasons there he returned to his first club, Southampton. The Saints had a nightmare season, only just avoiding the worst Premier League points total ever. Lallana was their assistant manager for the last two months of the season following the sacking of Ivan Juric, working alongside interim boss Simon Rusk. He announced his retirement from playing on 25th June 2025 and on the same date it was confirmed he would remain at the club as first team coach under new manager Will Still.