“One of the best players I ever worked with” – Jurgen Klopp admits he still misses 'incredible' former Liverpool star
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted he still misses former Reds star Adam Lallana, who left Anfield to join Brighton in the summer of 2020. The tactician showered praise on the attacking midfielder, calling him one of the best players he's managed so far.
Lallana was well-known for his hard work off the ball during his time at Anfield. Asked whether the attacking midfielder set the standard in terms of pressing at the start of his Liverpool tenure, Jurgen Klopp responded:
"Not only at the start but until the end. I miss Adam still to be honest. We obviously don’t have plenty of sessions during the week because we play that often. But Adam set the standard from the first to the last day pretty much and that was really impressive."
📺 Jurgen Klopp on Adam Lallana:
"He is one of the best players I've ever worked with. A player with his technical skills and that working mentality is really rare." 🔴 https://t.co/hCYAVtsn8B
Jurgen Klopp progressed by highlighting the qualities he admires in Adam Lallana, adding that the Englishman would've gone further in his career if not for injuries. He explained:
"What I loved about him [was] a football player with the technical skills he has, and then [also] this working mentality is really rare. I think we all agree, if Adam would have been a little bit less often injured, that could have been still on another level – and it was already great."
The tactician added:
"So, one of the best players I ever worked with, an absolutely incredible person as well. I am really looking forward to seeing him again."
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool are on a mission this season
After finishing the previous campaign poorly amid an injury crisis at Anfield, Liverpool have bounced back in style this season. Jurgen Klopp's men have entered the campaign in red-hot form, recording impressive performances across domestic and European fronts.
The Reds are unbeaten across all competitions this term. They are currently second in the Premier League table with 21 points in nine games, just one point behind first-placed Chelsea.
Jurgen Klopp's men are also off to a decent start in the Champions League, topping the table in Group B with nine points from three games so far.