Adam Lallana makes Liverpool admission as title hero makes emotional career move

Liverpool's outgoing manager Jürgen Klopp would count Adam Lallana among his most valued lieutenants. Now, it's both of them who are set to move on to new things at the end of the season.

Lallana, who swapped Liverpool for Brighton in 2020 on the back of winning the title under Klopp, has confirmed that he will leave the Amex Stadium at the end of the current campaign. He will conclude his time with the Seagulls with home games against Chelsea and Manchester United, hoping to secure a third straight top-half finish and having helped take the club into Europe for the first time.

Roberto De Zerbi was full of praise for Lallana, joining Klopp in hailing him as a standard-setter and a sharp footballing mind. "We are losing a great man and great player," he said, in the club's official announcement.

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"It has been his decision and we have to respect that. He has been a key player for me in my time here. At the beginning, Adam Lallana, Adam Webster, Pascal Gross, they followed me from the first day, and he will be a big loss for us.

“He is very smart, he loves football, he loves playing football. He understands the game as a player and as a coach, but I think he could play another season in the Premier League for sure.”

In an emotional video announcing his exit and citing family reasons, Lallana admitted that he is not sure what comes next, and will take time to reflect over the summer. Full of praise for the club he is leaving behind, he also mentioned Liverpool in his message to the Brighton fans.

"The dressing room's up there with one of the best I've ever been involved in. I've been involved in a couple of top, top level dressing rooms, especially the one at Liverpool that won everything, and I'd honestly say this is up there on a par with that."

Lallana did indeed collect several major honors during his time at Liverpool. He lifted the Champions League in 2019, adding the Premier League, Super Cup and Club World Cup the following season.

Liverpool.com says: It will be interesting to see what comes next for Lallana. Successive coaches have held him in the highest regard, praising his ability to absorb tactical information, and there's a good chance that translates to being a high-level manager. He's already been spotted with the England set-up, working towards his coaching badges.

But De Zerbi backs him to continue contributing at the highest level, so perhaps Lallana won't be ready to call it a day just yet. Whatever he decides, Liverpool fans will wish him well.

It's nice to hear Lallana still speak about Liverpool in such glowing terms. That truly was a dressing room for the ages, dubbed the 'mentality monsters' by Klopp, and it's something Arne Slot will hope to replicate.