Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana signed a new three-year contract with the club that sees him extend his stay until the summer of 2020, with an option to extend a year further and the wage is believed to be £110,000 per week according to the terms of the deal.
In the middle of his third season with the Reds, Lallana has made 117 appearances for the club and has scored 20 times, after joining from Southampton in the summer of 2014 for £25 million. The 28-year old has become an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s team this season and netted seven times in his 27 appearances, playing as a part of the midfield three or the attacking trident.
Speaking to LiverpoolFC.com, Lallana said:
“I’m very proud and feel quite humbled by the show of faith from the club and the manager in particular.”
“This is a really good place to be at the moment and, for a player who wants to be part of something special, I can’t think of a better club to commit your future to.”
Manager Jurgen Klopp too was full of praise for the midfielder and expressed his pleasure on the extension, saying:
“This is fantastic news for the club because Adam is a great player and an even better person.”
“Adam is a natural leader and is so, so important within our team and also in the dressing room. Maybe on the outside his leadership is not seen as much as we see it each and every day at Melwood in everything he does. What I think is most exciting about this news is that this player is only just arriving at his peak.”
While there were some reservations about the extension among the fans earlier, there is no question that Lallana has deserved this lead and here are three reasons why:
Lallana’s Improvement Under Klopp
Having joined two and a half years ago, the Englishman failed to find his footing at Anfield in his first season. Under then-manager Brendan Rodgers, the former Southampton man did not enjoy much joy in his debut season with Liverpool.
But following the arrival of Jurgen Klopp in the subsequent season, there has been a reversal of fortunes for Lallana. Under the German tactician, the 28-year old has grown leaps and bounds and has become a vital cog in the attacking machine that Liverpool has developed into under Klopp. It has been a remarkable turnaround for the player, whose quality was never in doubt but had found it tough to get going and has slowly begun to justify his value in the team.
Leader in The Team
Having captained Southampton during their rise back to prominence, Lallana has exhibited his leadership qualities over the years and can guide Liverpool through their period of resurgence under Klopp.
The manager himself admitted that the 28-year old is an important presence on and off the field for the Reds and can have a huge impact on the players that come through the ranks for Liverpool. Lallana isn’t afraid to voice his opinions out to teammates when needed and Liverpool could benefit massively from having such an influential player in the ranks for the years to come.
Yet to Reach His Peak
Judging by his upturn in form, it would not be wrong to say that Lallana is yet to reach his peak and will only continue to get better with age.
He isn’t the fastest player on the pitch, but his extremely quick in his thinking and his fast decision making is the biggest feature of his game. These qualities are something that can further be enhanced with age and experience. His technical abilities are something that will keep him in good stead in the coming years. And his fitness levels are always up to the mark as well, which means that the work-rate that he has become known for will not diminish either.
Hence, there is no question that Lallana has plenty left to offer for Liverpool and signing this deal is the best thing for both the club and the player.
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