Former Liverpool man Adam Lallana has revealed Jurgen Klopp spoke to him very honestly last October, and informed the midfielder he should find a new club.
This was four days before the Brighton and Hove Albion star scored for the Reds at Old Trafford to make it 1-1, but he says this highlights one of the boss’ strengths.
Lallana asked Klopp what the situation was, with his contract coming to an end this summer, and the German told him it’s time to tell his agent to move on.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the former England international said he was told he deserved to be playing more often but that couldn’t be promised to him at Anfield.
“I spoke to Jurgen last year and just sat down and I just said ‘what’s it looking like for me next year? I know I’m out of contract, I’m not playing regularly,” Lallana said.
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“And he basically said to me, ‘get your agent to start looking for another club, that doesn’t mean you’re not in my plans’ – four days later he brought me on at Old Trafford and I scored the equaliser.
“I think that shows what type of person Jurgen is, he’s very honest, and he said to me I should be playing more, I deserved to be playing more, and he can’t offer that to me.”
His role at Anfield may have decreased every season since Klopp’s arrival, but the respect never faded – and this was shown by the decision to give Lallana a contract extension.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced football to hit the big pause button, which meant some players were forced to leave their clubs before the season was over.
Unfortunately, Nathaniel Clyne packed up his things at Melwood before we won the Premier League title – but Lallana was afforded an extension.
The relationship the midfielder and Klopp have is clearly one with a lot of respect, and that really speaks volumes of the kind of man the German is.