Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has revealed what Gareth Southgate told him in a classy message after last season’s Champions League final win over Tottenham.
The Reds won 2-0 against Spurs in Madrid, but Lallana didn’t actually get on the pitch that night as he remained an unused substitute.
MORE: Arsenal star Dani Ceballos admits to being in awe of Liverpool after recent Anfield defeat
Still, there’s no doubt Lallana has played a part in Liverpool’s recent improvement, having been a key player for Jurgen Klopp when available, even if he has been unlucky with injuries in recent times.
Lallana has now been out of the England fold for some time, but he’ll have been touched to hear from Three Lions boss Southgate after that Champions League final win.
Speaking to the Times, the 31-year-old says Southgate got in touch to tell him he deserved the win after everything he’d gone through.
Lallana says he now hopes to play more for LFC in order to get back into the England team.
“Gareth sent me a really nice message about how I deserved it given how tough the previous two years had been,” he said.
“If I didn’t have the relationship with Gareth that I have, would I feel the same? Possibly not. He is a manager I want to play for, but teams evolve.
“People were questioning whether England had young talent. What a load of rubbish that looks now: Trent [Alexander-Arnold], [Mason] Mount, [James] Maddison, [Callum] Hudson-Odoi, [Jadon] Sancho. It’s brilliant.
“But to play for England again, I need to play for Liverpool.”