Midfielder adapting to life at Anfield and is confident Reds can improve their recent form

It has been a “whirlwind” year for Adam Lallana, who led Southampton to a club-record eighth-placed finish in the Barclays Premier League as captain, went to the 2014 FIFA World Cup with England and joined Liverpool in the summer.

The 26-year-old midfielder admits it has been a difficult transition to Liverpool, having been based on the south coast all of his life, but he is confident that the Reds can improve their form after a difficult start to the season and is relishing the opportunity to play for a “huge, historic club.”

Speaking to NBC Sports in ‘Life of Lallana’, an interview in which he discussed his upbringing, different stages of his career and the new challenge at Anfield, he said: “Moving from the south coast to the north-west has been different.

“We’ve not been playing to our maximum but we are still in transition. We feel a really good performance is around the corner”
Adam Lallana

“My wife and I have never lived outside of south England. You take it for granted, having your family around you and friends. It’s been difficult. Our friends and family have been up to visit and the lads have been great helping us settle, so I can’t complain, really.

“I suppose last year was a bit of a whirlwind. I don’t really take much time to sit down and look back. But it has been enjoyable, put it that way. I’ve enjoyed the last 12 months.

“Like last season, I enjoyed a great season at Southampton, and I really enjoyed playing under Mauricio Pochettino.

“But things change. I got the opportunity to come to Liverpool, and it was something I couldn’t turn down, really. It was a chance to play Champions League football at a huge, historic club.”

After starting out at Bournemouth, Lallana moved along the south coast to Southampton at the age of 12 and broke into the first team in 2006. He helped them secure back-to-back promotions to the Barclays Premier League, before catching the eye of England manager Roy Hodgson as he adapted to England’s top flight seamlessly.

The new challenge at Anfield was hindered by injury problems at the start of the season, but Lallana has made six BPL appearances for Liverpool and scored his first goal for the Reds in a 2-1 league win over West Bromwich Albion.

“Joining a team like Liverpool is definitely an adaption phase. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. After losing Luis Suarez and missing Daniel Sturridge up top lately, it’s been difficult.

“But we’ve had to find different ways of winning games; other people have had to chip in with goals.

“We know we’ve not been playing to our maximum but we are still in transition. We feel that if we keep working hard, a really good performance is around the corner.

“My big aim for Liverpool this season is to settle in as well as I can to the group and contribute as much as possible to getting into the top four again. And hopefully win a bit of silverware.”

In the interview, Lallana also reflects on coming up against Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, his former team-mate at Southampton’s academy, the “brilliant” managerial expertise of Brendan Rodgers, his family’s Merseyside connections and his upbringing.