Liverpool’s young and upcoming stars should certainly take note of the advice being given by England’s player of the year Adam Lallana.
The Reds midfielder has been outstanding since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival on Merseyside and has transformed himself into one of the key figures for both club and country. This comes after the former Southampton man struggled for form early on in his Anfield career.
It’s his resilience and progression over the last few years that makes his words of guidance potentially vital to the club’s youngsters succeeding.
He told Liverpoolfc.com: “Taking on advice is key. When you’re younger – 16, 17 or 18 – you’re going through that stage of your career where you might listen to the wrong people and you might get led astray by friends who aren’t in a similar position to you, so you do have to make sacrifices and big decisions when you’re younger, and work out what path you want to take.”
“Do you want to do all you can to become a professional footballer, or do you want a little bit of the lifestyle you can’t have if you want to be a top professional? You can’t be going out with your mates two or three times a week when you’re young and when you’re learning to become a top professional footballer.”
SEE MORE:
Liverpool star on overcoming potentially serious health problem at the age of 18
It comes down to having the talent but also having the right attitude and mindset.
Rarely in the past few years has a group of Liverpool youth prospects been talked about as highly as the current batch at the club.
There is a good feeling about what the likes of Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold can achieve with the Reds and as maturely as they have started their careers, considering Lallana’s advice will do them no harm.
Not only does following the path Lallana has outlined help a player make the most of their talent but it also demonstrates how much they value their place at the club. Managers love this, fans love this and teammates who feel the same way love this.