Brighton midfielder Adam Lallana could not help but poke fun at Gary Neville and his disastrous stint in management while reflecting on his own brief spell as a coach.
The former Liverpool star, 34, is still playing but stepped up to the role of first-team coach to assist Seagulls caretaker manager Andrew Crofts following Graham Potter's departure for Chelsea in September. Ultimately, Lallana did not have the chance to see the fruits of his labours, as Brighton's Premier League fixture against Bournemouth was postponed after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Roberto De Zerbi was then appointed to the Amex Stadium dugout, meaning Lallana has been able to refocus all his efforts on training and playing. The Southampton icon was quizzed on what it was like to coach his teammates ahead of Brighton's clash with Brentford on Friday night.
Speaking to pundits Neville and Jamie Carragher and presenter Kelly Cates, Lallana opened up on the added demands of his management role - and then aimed an amusing dig at the former Manchester United defender. Neville, 47, infamously took charge of Valencia for four months between 2015 and 2016, winning just three of his 16 La Liga games and failing to keep a top-flight clean sheet before he was sacked.
"I was fortunate enough a couple of weeks ago to dip my toes into it. It's something I thoroughly enjoyed," Lallana told Sky Sports of his brief foray into management, before beckoning to Neville. "It's different, longer hours and you don't understand how much work goes into it - you obviously found that out as well.
"I was very fortunate to be given that opportunity. I've still probably got a year or two left in me [as a player], but it [management] is something I think I will go into."
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Ever-willing to enjoy a joke at his co-pundit's expensive, Anfield hero Carragher chimed in: "Just don't go to Valencia, stay here!"
Lallana was named on the bench for Brighton's trip to the Gtech Community Stadium having made five Premier League appearances this season. The Seagulls found themselves trailing in the first half after a brilliant opener from Ivan Toney, who underlined his credentials to board the plane to the World Cup in Qatar with England next month after his maiden call-up in September.
"That is absolutely fantastic from Toney," Carragher said while on commentary duty. "This guy isn't just a target man, he's a class act, he really is. That's why he's in the England squad right now and that's why, if he keeps doing things like that, he'll be going to Qatar."
