Liverpool Fan View: Why Adam Lallana's new contract is a HUGE boost

Adam Lallana signed a new deal reportedly worth ‎£110,000 a week to underline his ever-growing stature at Anfield but his start to life at Liverpool was far from smooth.‎

Completing a ‎£25m transfer from Southampton in 2014, Lallana failed to show the same swagger in the red of Liverpool that made him one of the Premier League’s best players to watch at St Mary’s.

Perhaps overwhelmed and weighed down in a new unforgiving environment, Lallana played within himself in his opening season at Anfield.

However, Jurgen Klopp’s appointment as the club’s new manager triggered Lallana’s revival. The pair are neighbours and Klopp is certainly a big fan of Lallana.

While we are still seeing a more disciplined version of the attacking midfielder, Lallana has found his feet in the Liverpool side.

Now indispensable, Lallana has scored seven goals and made seven assists in the 2016-17 Premier League campaign so far. Encouragingly, Klopp reckons the best is yet to come from his neighbour.

Only Mane has been better

When it comes to the end of season awards at Liverpool, it will be two former Southampton players who battle it out for the club’s player of the year award.

Lallana has finally found some consistent form in the Liverpool side and has answered his critics with a more frequent return in front of goal.

The 28-year-old has scored seven times and has created a further seven goals for his team-mates in 23 appearances in the Premier League. Only Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have scored more Premier League goals in the 2016-17 campaign.

Mane has been an exceptional addition to the Liverpool squad and has become an incredibly important member of the starting line-up, as highlighted by the club’s slow start to 2017 with the winger away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

But in Lallana, Mane has a rival for player of the season. The challenge for the England midfielder will be to carry this form into 2017-18. It’s worth remembering that Lallana is England’s reigning player of the year – too.

Easy on the eye

Klopp’s brand of football provides fantastic entertainment but there is a sense that each player is part of well-oiled machine – it’s a system that works for the team and not the individual.

This probably explains why Lallana has curtailed some of the free-flowing football that he produced in a Southampton shirt. Perhaps with his confidence restored, we will see even more unpredictable moments from the ex-Saints captain.

However, there is no doubt that Lallana remains one of the best Liverpool players to watch. Running with the ball at his feet and his ability to shift his hips to deceive opponents makes him one of Klopp’s best weapons. Now that he has found his goal-scoring touch, Lallana promises to continue to thrill in the next few years.