27th February 2017. By Edward Stratmann.
When speaking after signing his bumper new deal with Liverpool, which will reportedly see him earn a whopping £150,00 a week, Adam Lallana was justifiably delighted.

"I'm very proud and feel quite humbled by the show of faith from the club and the manager in particular," he gratefully explained. "Signing for a club like Liverpool is obviously a big thing but to re-sign shows you've obviously contributed enough that the people who make the decisions want you to stay longer."

Following an uninspiring start to life on Merseyside, after joining from Southampton in 2014 for a £25 million transfer fee, the key turning point for him arrived when Brendan Rodgers was relieved of his managerial duties and Jurgen Klopp took over last season.

Ever since, Lallana's been a crucial component within Klopp's high octane, all action brand of football. Under a manager who fully respects and appreciates his qualities, the 28-year-old's flourished enormously, with his creativity, technical gifts and insatiable appetite for work ensuring he's been an exemplary candidate to execute and cope with the rigorous demands of Klopp's frenetic methodology.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Klopp's influence and the excitement he's injecting into the place, has been the perfect match for Lallana, who unwaveringly believes in the compelling project.

"We have a world-class manager and coaching staff," Lallana said. "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."

It's easy to see why Klopp enjoys working with a player like Lallana too, for he's an extraordinarily hard worker, who plays an integral part in his pressing mechanisms, plus has all the creative tools to unlock defences in the final third.

An inspirational figure on the defensive end, the England international always hunts his opponents in a fierce, aggressive manner. Crucially, though, there's plenty of thought attached to his harrying, for he responds supremely to pressing triggers, such as when players receive the ball with their back to goal, and craftily angles his pressing to block off passing lanes to opposing players hoping to provide an option behind him.

Being so adept at finding space to receive possession all over the pitch, particularly in between the opposition's defensive and midfield lines, is certainly another endearing aspect of his armoury. He just has this uncanny perception of where best to position himself in relation to his teammates, the opposition and where the vacant space is.

Factor in his penetrative runs from deep, that are so difficult for his adversaries to track, and his ability to shimmy away and manouvre himself out of trouble in confined spaces, and it's a no brainer why Lallana is so well loved by Klopp. 

 

The fact he's built such strong, complimentary relationships with his teammates, something that's illustrated aptly when he performs subtle interchanges with the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson, and knows when to push forward or stay back and cover, serves as yet another reason why remaining with Liverpool was clearly the only choice for him.

 

The usually animated Liverpool manager was duly satisfied when he heard the news of Lallana signing on with the Reds until 2018, gleaming: "This is fantastic news for the club because Adam is a great player and an even better person. I am so pleased that we will spend more time together now and have this common future with LFC trying to be successful here.

 

"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."

 

It's been important to note that Lallana has provided a notable seven goals and seven assists from midfield in the Premier League this term, as he's gone some way to silencing his critics who suggest he's a style over substance footballer who lacks that killer instinct inside the box.

 

With a fascinating contest with an ailing Leicester City up next for Liverpool on Monday night, Lallana will be desperate to not only celebrate his new deal in style, but also repay the tremendous faith the club and his manager have shown in him.


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