It’s 10 years since Adam Lallana left Southampton for Liverpool for a fee of £25m – that wasn’t universally popular among some of the St Mary’s fanbase, but the midfielder is determined to win everyone back during his second spell at the club.
Now 36, Lallana has returned to Southampton this season after four years at Brighton. When he moved to Liverpool in 2014, he was joining a club who’d just narrowly missed out on the Premier League title under Brendan Rodgers, and went on to win the trophy with Jurgen Klopp, as well as the Champions League in 2019.
Despite that, some Saints fans voiced their upset when he departed – Lallana had ascended to skipper at St Mary’s, also being nominated for the PFA player of the year award after helping the club to eighth in the table under Mauricio Pochettino.
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He was the second of six players to make the switch from St Mary’s to Anfield over the course of the next four years, together with Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk.
“It was 10 years ago when I left,” Lallana exclusively tells FourFourTwo. “That last season was special with Mauricio – I’ve never lost contact with him, he was an enormous figure that helped shape my career and a big reason why I got my move to Liverpool.
“Not all the fans were happy that I left, and it wasn’t an easy decision – when you leave to move on, not everyone is going to be happy.
“But I don’t have any regrets. The trophies I won were a reward for hard work throughout my career, not just during my years at Liverpool, but to get promoted out of League One and the Championship with Southampton.
“I enjoyed my time at Liverpool, I enjoyed my first spell at Southampton and my time at Brighton, too.
“I know it was bittersweet when I left here last time, but I think I can repair some of those wounds. I’ll always give my utmost here. I’ve always had a special place for this football club. My son is in the academy and we’ve lived local to the area for years.”
Lallana missed Southampton's opening games of the new season because of injury, and was speaking to FFT at a St Mary’s event to model the club’s new kit. Saints have linked up with PUMA on a four-year deal, with bespoke kits for all teams at the club, from the men’s and women’s first teams through to the academy.
“I love the kit, I love the stripes, it’s great to be back here in red and white, and collaborating with PUMA again, too,” he says. “I’ve been wearing PUMA for many years – I started my relationship with PUMA when we got into the Premier League with Southampton 12 years ago, so it’s pretty fitting. The lads are all really happy with the kit.
“I’ve loved my first few weeks back at the club. When you get to my age, you take it year by year – I don’t know at this point how long I’ll play on for, we’ll see what happens towards the end of the season.
“I just want to enjoy this year as much as possible. I still feel I can offer something on the pitch and I can help the young players, too.”
For more details on PUMA's latest offerings, visit uk.puma.com/uk/en/sports/football
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