Adam Lallana has opened up on how he initially felt rejected when Jurgen Klopp told him he was no longer needed at Liverpool. Lallana left the Reds on a free transfer during the summer at the end of his contract after six years with the Anfield club. The former England international joined Liverpool from Southampton for £25million in July 2014 and was at the club when Klopp first arrived. But despite being a regular in the early days of the German’s reign, he slowly became a squad player due to the elite quality added to Klopp’s squad over the past few years. And although he was still with the Reds playing a vital part when they lifted the Premier League title, the 32-year-old had already known for months that his time with the club was up.
Adam Lallana said “I went in and asked the question because I wanted to know what my future looked like, I had half an idea what the answer would be, but felt it would be better to know and to have a frank conversation. We had that much respect for each other. It is a weird feeling when you get told that you are kind of not wanted any more. There is an initial feeling of rejection and I think that’s normal in any walk of life. But, after a couple of days, when I realised it was going to be my last season at Liverpool, I made sure that I treated every day, every training session, like it was my last and didn’t take anything for granted. I enjoyed the last six months as much as I did any year while I was at the club. It was difficult to leave. But I wouldn’t say I’m missing it or homesick, Meeting new people and forming new relationships with team-mates is so refreshing and something I needed. It’s been absolutely fantastic.”
