ADAM LALLANA admits he owes Wayne Rooney a huge debt of gratitude for easing the Liverpool star’s passage into the England team.
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| Adam Lallana has made 19 England senior appearances compared to Wayne Rooney's 109 |
Lallana was called up along with Southampton team-mates Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez for the first time by the Three Lions in November 2013.
Senior player Rooney who stepped into Steven Gerrard’s shoes as England skipper the following August helped integrate the unassuming Saint into the all consuming international set up – something Lallana has never forgotten.
But today when Rooney and Manchester United face Liverpool in the annual Anfield tribal battle all sentiment will fly out of the window.
“Wayne has been great. As England captain he’s a great role model not just to the younger players but to a lot of the players in the England set up,” Lallana said.
“He was great for me when I first came through, when I was making my first couple of appearances. It’s not easy going into the international set up. There are a lot of big personalities.”
Having seen the United and England striker at close quarters Lallana who is now in his second season at Anfield following a £24 million move from the south coast, can’t understand the criticism which has come Rooney’s way at times during the current campaign.
He added: “There’s not anyone who hasn’t taken a bit of stick during their career. But he’s bounced back the last couple of weeks with a lot of goals, a lot of important goals so he’s obviously a massive threat for them.
“He’s a very good player and a good captain.”
Lallana occupied a forward running position in the midweek 3-3 draw with Arsenal, manager Jurgen Klopp operating without a traditional central striker.
“It was different, it was exciting, especially in the first half when I felt we caused them problems. It was just disappointing that we let them back in a couple of times after we had got our noses in front,” he admitted.
“Roberto Firmino scored a couple of great goals. It would have been a massive sucker punch if we hadn’t have got anything from the Arsenal game. Maybe it will give us a bit of momentum and confidence to take into the big game this weekend.”
Lallana confesses that he needs to bring more goals to his game. The former Southampton captain, now 27, has only scored five goals in 44 Premier League appearances for the Merseysiders.
“I would like to contribute with a few more goals especially like on Wednesday night last night when I was up front. Hopefully that’s not too far away," he said.
“You have to keep on practising. Obviously all strikers – and I’m not a striker – go through blips in front of goal, maybe lacking a bit of confidence.
“It’s one of those things that when one comes another one comes along. One will go in off your back side or something in a game, and you just crack on from there.”
Lallana is aware, along with the majority of players, that Klopp is likely to be busy in the transfer market in the summer as he looks to place his own identity on the Kop boys.
“When a new manager comes in it’s almost like that first day at school feeling. You want to impress, you need to get your feet under the table again, you’re working with a different coach. But he’s been great, not just for myself but for everyone really,” Lallana stated.
“There won’t be too many who have anything bad to say about him. Whether it works out or not for certain individuals we will have to wait and see but I am sure the manager won’t be thinking about that now.
“We all just need to be together and win a bit of silverware this season and finish as high as we can in the Premier League, hopefully in the top four. We can’t have anyone not thinking that. We just need to be focussed on the football really.”
Liverpool have one foot in the League Cup final, holding a 1-0 lead with the second leg to come at Anfield while a European qualification place is still up for grabs in the most open Premier League in years.
Talking about a top four finish he added: “It feels like we keep getting within touching distance and taking a step back so perhaps what we need is to be more consistent in picking up wins. That's how you find yourself in the top four.”
A win over the old enemy from along the East Lancs Road is also overdue, Manchester United having won their last three league meetings.
“We lost twice to them last season and also earlier this season (lost 3-1) it wasn’t a great performance so we definitely owe them one,” he maintained.
“But I’m confident with the way that we’ve been playing – including the Arsenal game – and that it will give us the edge.”
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