Adam Lallana is set to start for England at Euro 2016 ahead of Jamie Vardy... why is Liverpool star key to success in France?
- England football latest: Click here for more news ahead of Euro 2016
- Adam Lallana is highly rated by a number of colleagues at Liverpool
- Steven Gerrard gave his approval when the club made him a prime target
- Jordan Henderson said Lallana is the best two-footed player at Anfield
- The silky midfielder joined the Reds from Southampton in July 2014
- Has won 21 caps for England and played in the last World Cup in Brazil
The dressing room doesn't get fooled. When there is hype around a certain individual, the best gauge will always be found within the inner sanctum as to whether it is merited.
Keep that in mind for what is about to follow. Eyebrows will have been raised following stories that Adam Lallana is set to start England’s opening game of Euro 2016 against Russia, with Jamie Vardy consigned to the role of impact substitute.
What, some will wonder, does Lallana give that Vardy doesn't? Others will have been more brutal and asked while considering Leicester’s leading striker as a bit part player: is the Liverpool midfielder really good enough for England?
Adam Lallana is poised to start England's opening group game of Euro 2016 against Russia this summer
Jamie Vardy will have to make do with a role as impact sub despite three goals in his last three England games
The answer, emphatically, is yes. Why? Here’s the first story. During the summer of 2014, when Liverpool were embarking on an aggressive recruitment drive, news began to swirl around the club’s Melwood training base that Lallana was a prime target.
Steven Gerrard, naturally, always took a keen interest in who Liverpool were signing and when Lallana’s name came into the conversation as a potential arrival on Merseyside, his approval was instant and glowing.
‘Top player,’ said Gerrard.
Former captain and player Steven Gerrard (centre) gave his approval when the signing of Lallana was made
Southampton was where the 28-year-old begun his career, he made 265 appearances before leaving in 2014
Aside from the skill and silky way he moved, Gerrard loved Lallana’s character, too. He had admired him from afar at Southampton and liked the fact he had been their captain, his argument being that Lallana wouldn't go missing in difficult moments.
His first season at Anfield, though, did not go according to plan, with injury and a dip in form leading Lallana to describe his efforts as 'pretty average if I'm honest'. It ensured he started the most recent campaign with a point to prove.
But, within the group, there was never any doubt about his ability, as this next tale confirms. During the club’s pre-season tour, Jordan Henderson was having some down time at Liverpool’s base in Kuala Lumpur when Lallana’s name came into the conversation. Would he make it on Merseyside?
‘Are you serious?’ came the reply. ‘He’s the best two footed player here, without any shadow of a doubt.’
Lallana doesn't have searing speed or score goals from midfield like Frank Lampard or create them as frequently as Mesut Ozil; his Liverpool team-mate James Milner outscored him in the Barclays Premier League (five to four), while Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater finished with more assists in 2015-16 (seven to six)
If you asked him to define his special quality, he would even be reluctant to give you a definitive answer. That, however, is not any kind of slight. Lallana, simply, is one of England’s best midfielders in England, who is happy to go about his business under the radar.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson remarked that Lallana is easily the best two-footed player at the club
Injuries and a dip in form meant Anfield did not get to see the best of the tricky playmaker when he joined
Frank Lampard frequently scored from midfield for club and country but Lallana brings his own qualities
‘The recognition doesn't bother me, I don’t want to be on the back page of the papers,’ Lallana, who now has 21 caps, said in the build-up to the Europa League final against Sevilla. ‘Being the hero doesn't bother me – being part of a successful team does bother me.
‘It was a disappointing season for me last year and for the club, especially coming off the back of a season when Liverpool challenged for the title. The last seven months have been very important for me. I feel as though I have established myself at Liverpool and I am enjoying it.’
Hodgson, then, will turn to him Marseille on June 11, when hostilities begin in Group B, for the same reason Jurgen Klopp selects him religiously and the same reason Mauricio Pochettino would take him to Tottenham in a heartbeat if the chance arose.
When Liverpool beat Everton 4-0 in April, there were a number of stand-out performances but in the dressing room afterwards Klopp was enthusing about Lallana’s contribution and wondered why he didn’t always receive credit.
Lallana plays for Liverpool because he is tactically intelligent and game savvy. He has boundless energy to execute a pressing game, has the ability to pass and he is developing more conviction when gets into shooting areas.
Assuming he gets to Marseille fit and well, Hodgson will have no quibbles in choosing him to get the campaign off to the best possible start and it is clear he has been thinking that way since he selected Lallana to start the high-profile friendly against Germany in Berlin on March 26.
England’s head coach has faith in Lallana. So, too, do the rest of the players. Selecting him against Russia would not be done on a whim. It will be done to ensure England win.
Lallana was part of the disastrous World Cup campaign in Brazil two years ago but figured as a substitute
The midfielder's second cap came in the 1-0 defeat to Germany during a friendly back in November 2013
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