Adam Lallana: The unknown trailblazer for the resurgence of English 10’s

Adam Lallana. A rare breed. A product of the English academy system who wasn’t reliant on his physical attributes at a time where most academy graduates seemed to be either shockingly fast, physically imposing or able to run like dogs for 90 minutes.

Lallana broke the mould.

When I was first getting into football, at around 7 or 8 years of age to the point where I can vividly remember many games, one of my core memories was that Southampton team of the mid 2010s that constantly finished in and around the European players for numerous seasons. Dusan Tadic, Jay Rodriguez, Rickie Lambert, Victor Wanyama, Luke Shaw, Van Dijk… The quality was evident. Add to that the managerial nous of Ronald Koeman and Mauricio Pochettino respectively and you had a thrilling, fast-paced Southampton side that were easy on the eye whilst constantly performing above-and-beyond expectations.

But for me, the crown jewel of this team was Adam Lallana. He was a true number ten who lit up stadiums with his pure technical ability and willingness to make something happen. He was never afraid to run at people, always taking it on the half turn with his quick feet and wiry frame, often getting him out of trouble when everyone else thought there was nowhere he could possibly go. 

After initially impressing at Southampton, Lallana began to add output to his game as he reached 15 g/a in the Premier League during the 2013/14 season. It was during this period where I think Lallana was at the peak of his powers. He was one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League at this point and was beginning to gain the attention of the National team and England’s biggest clubs.

However, like many great and promising players, injuries began to get in the way. His move to Liverpool was constantly hampered by little niggles which saw him struggle to consistently perform for the reds. Promising yet sporadic cameos became the norm and a player who looked to be at the heart of England’s future midfield was now a shadow of what he once was.

I loved Adam Lallana. He was a breath of fresh air in English football and seemed to be on a trajectory towards being one of the best attacking players in the Premier League. I encourage people reading to go back and watch his Southampton highlights because they are truly amazing.  Currently, in a time where young and upcoming English 10s are beginning to thrive in the Premier League with Gibbs-White, Palmer, Rogers, Foden and others being key players for European level sides, I firmly believe that a peak Adam Lallana would sit at the same table as all of them.

He still had a very solid Premier League career for Liverpool, Brighton and now back at Southampton but there is every chance that without these injuries he would so frequently pick up, Lallana would’ve gone on to do great things for both club and country and we’d be looking at him as one of England’s best midfielders of the 2010s.

It’s sad because I think lots of people forget how good he once was.