Adam Lallana Retires: Will the Former Southampton Star Go Down as a Legend?
“It’s not so important what people think when you come in… It’s much more important what people think when you leave,” were the wise words of former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. This statement is a fitting representation of Adam Lallana’s football career.
By the end of his tenure at Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp spoke on the English playmaker: “He is a Liverpool legend for his contribution, and I read somewhere recently he felt a little embarrassed by that. But he absolutely shouldn’t. It’s a status he has earned and then some.”
Boasting 19 years of experience, 568 appearances at club level and 34 senior caps for England, Lallana is undisputedly one of the most gifted English talents of the last generation. So why is his ‘legend’ status up for debate?
A Southampton Product
Like many of the greatest British footballers of all time (e.g., Gareth Bale, Alan Shearer), Lallana is a product of the world-famous Southampton academy. As the Saints rose from League One to the Premier League in penultimate seasons, the midfielder was an ever-present figure in their success. Also scoring in the Johnstone Paint Trophy Final, Lallana brought silverware back to the club, however unglamorous.
But, as big clubs began to swoop for the Saints star, things began to get messy. Despite the Englishman captaining Southampton to an eighth-place Premier League finish under manager Mauricio Pochettino, word began to spread that the player was attempting to force his way out of the club, with Liverpool keen.
“I didn’t say I’d never play for the club again,” Lallana said. “Once I knew of Liverpool‘s interest, I asked the club if they could come to an agreement and that it would be my wish to leave and join Liverpool. I make no secret of that; I’m an ambitious person.”
Later that year, the £25 million transfer materialised, leaving Saints fans largely unhappy and feeling betrayed by the player dubbed as the ‘next Le Tissier’. Matt Le Tissier, fabled for being Southampton‘s ‘one club man’, was reached out to by Lallana, but the call of Merseyside seemingly prevailed. For now, St Mary’s was not somewhere where he had secured legendary status.
Klopp’s Influence
At first, Lallana found life tough under the management of Brendan Rogers. Until Jürgen Klopp arrived. Speaking to Sky Sports, the player said:
“I turned up at Liverpool and I was insecure. Big time,” he said. “I didn’t feel comfortable in the dressing room, on the pitch, in the kit. Straight away [Klopp] took that away. Straight away. And I’ll never forget that.”
In six years at Merseyside, Lallana won the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup. His work ethic, flair, and elegance made him the perfect Jürgen Klopp player, but the playmaker was plagued with injuries, missing over a year in total.
Lallana eventually left in 2020, hailed as a legend by Klopp. “He is a Liverpool legend for his contributions.”
Developing In His Thirties
Lallana then joined Brighton & Hove Albion, where his efforts on and off the ball were appreciated by a young and inexperienced team.
In 95 Premier League appearances, Lallana naturally dropped further back, becoming more of a dictator of play than a forward.
Also developing his coaching skills with Lee Carsley’s England U21s during international breaks, it was clear to see that Lallana fancied taking the venture into management. This ambition matched on the pitch with his determination is an impressive attribute liked by many Premier League managers, such as Klopp and Roberto De Zerbi.
After Adam Lallana left the South Coast club in 2024, then Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi said, “I have been lucky to work with him. I have learnt a lot from him because of how much he loves football.
“He could be a coach now because he understands football and everything in it.”
Full Circle
In a move that came to light moments after Southampton won the 2023/24 Championship Play-Off Final, Lallana completed a move back to his boyhood club. Sharing a seat at Wembley with owner Dragan Šolak, Lallana celebrated the win that meant he would move back to the club that made it happen for him.
But the playmaker, who according to his chant ‘makes [Lionel] Messi look sh*te’, had some convincing to do, as Saints fans had not forgotten his questionable exit ten years prior.
In a horrendous season that saw Southampton finish as the second-worst Premier League team of all time, the Englishman ended up as assistant manager to interim boss Simon Rusk.
His coaching skills are clearly liked by new man Will Still, who has appointed him as part of his coaching team for the future. Qualities from managers such as Pochettino, Klopp and De Zerbi are going to likely be prevalent in Lallana’s skillset.
Adam Lallana: A Legend?
Loved by all of his ex-coaches, Lallana is clearly the model for what a manager wants from his players. And everywhere he has been, he has undeniably been influential on and off the pitch in creating a good atmosphere around the club.
Southampton is where most of Lallana’s success lies statistically, but Liverpool is where he has many team accomplishments. Brighton provided a solid place for him to exert the pressure from other players, allowing European success. Overall, the 37 year-old has been a magnificent professional wherever he has been and should be considered a legend at both Liverpool and Southampton.
Lallana’s Southampton journey isn’t over just yet, though; he will be a coach for the team’s promotion push next season. His son is also in their Academy, perhaps another future star!?
As he hangs up his boots on the playing field, Lallana will look to help mentor and teach upcoming generations in his journey that is effectively still young.
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