Adam Lallana has said his goodbyes at Liverpool and looks set to move to Brighton & Hove Albion on a free transfer. After six years, 178 appearances, 22 goals and four trophies, what will Adam Lallana’s legacy be?
Will Adam Lallana’s Legacy Be a Lasting One?
2014/15: A Difficult Start
Liverpool signed Adam Lallana for £25 million in 2014 from Southampton. They splashed the cash after selling Luis Suarez, and he arrived alongside Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren, Emre Can, Alberto Moreno, Lazar Markovic and Mario Balotelli. The Englishman has certainly proved the most popular amongst Liverpool fans from that cohort.
It was a turbulent first season for the then 26-year-old. He featured regularly, with 41 appearances in all competitions. However, his lack of consistency was matched by his team. Liverpool finished 6th and without a trophy, facing a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Stoke City on the final day.
Six goals and four assists wasn’t a great return for an attacking midfielder, but his performances showed promise. His highlights included an excellent first goal at Anfield against West Bromwich Albion and a brace in a 4-1 victory over Swansea City.
2015/16: Leading the Pressing Revolution
Liverpool continued their poor form into the next season, and Brendan Rodgers was sacked at the start of October, with Jurgen Klopp replacing him. The German wasted no time in introducing his philosophy in his first game in charge away at Tottenham. In a highly intense 0-0 draw, it was Lallana who lead the press for Liverpool. Exhausted, he fell into his new manager’s arms upon being substituted. This became a defining image of the Klopp era.
Lallana soon became the teacher’s pet at Liverpool. He set the example of what Klopp wanted from his players with a tireless work rate, alongside excellent technical ability. Playing predominantly on the right side of a narrow front line, he became an integral part of a side which reached the finals of the League Cup and Europa League.
His end product improved too, with seven goals and eight assists in all competitions. These included a long-range effort in a 3-0 hammering of Manchester City, and the third goal against Villarreal to send the Reds to the Europa League final. Perhaps the most memorable, however, was his 95th-minute winner in a 5-4 thriller at Carrow Road.
Despite the clear improvement in the England international and the team as a whole, the season ended in disappointment. They lost both finals and Lallana missed his penalty in the shootout to gift Manchester City the League Cup.
2016/17: Excelling in a New Role
Lallana began his third campaign with Liverpool with a new role. Klopp switched to a 4-3-3 formation, moving him into central midfield for the curtain-raiser at Arsenal. The new system worked a treat as Lallana bagged a goal and an assist in a pulsating 4-3 victory. He quickly became one of the stars of a Liverpool side who looked like challenging for the title by Christmas.
Sadio Mane’s departure for AFCON, combined with a growing injury list, exposed Liverpool’s lack of squad depth. By the end of January, they were out of the title race. Nonetheless, the Reds booked their return to the Champions League, making the season a success overall.
Lallana’s role in this was vital, scoring eight league goals, his highest total for Liverpool. This tally included one on the decisive final day victory which secured 4th place. Unfortunately, this was his penultimate goal for the Reds and he would have to wait over two years for his next and final one.
2017/18: Injuries, Frustration and a Champions League Final
Two hamstring injuries put Lallana on the sidelines for most of the 2017/18 campaign. He made just 15 appearances in all competitions, only three of which were starts. His frustration was shown in an appalling manner when he was sent off in an Under-23s game for violent conduct.
Despite the injury problems, he was fit enough to be included in the matchday squad as Liverpool played their first Champions League final in 11 years. Lallana was brought off the bench after Salah was injured in the first half, but struggled to make an impact as Liverpool fell to their fourth straight cup final defeat.
2018/19 and 2019/20: Adam Lallana’s Legacy
Lallana’s body has continued to let him down, as injuries have restricted him to just 13 starts over the last two seasons. Despite this, they have been the two seasons where he has become a champion of England, Europe and the World.
He hasn’t been a first-team regular for some time now, but his contributions to Liverpool’s recent success are still significant. He put in some strong performances at the back end of last season to help the Reds reach 97 points, including a Man of the Match display against Burnley. Additionally, his late equaliser at Old Trafford during this campaign edged Liverpool one point closer to the Premier League title and kept their long unbeaten run going.
Adam Lallana’s legacy won’t be as an all-time Liverpool great, but he will go down as part of the team of heroes who brought the European Cup to Anfield for a sixth time and ended the 30-year wait for a league title.
Jurgen Klopp’s success at Liverpool has been one long journey and Lallana was there right from the start. He has given everything he could for his manager, teammates and fans every time he entered the pitch. There will always be a sense of what could have been if it wasn’t for injuries, but he should be remembered for all the great moments he helped deliver, from his first goal against West Brom to lifting the Premier League trophy six years later.
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