Adam Lallana Biography

Adam David Lallana is a well-known English professional footballer, currently playing as an attacking midfielder for Liverpool FC in the Premier League. He began his football journey at a young age and developed his skills through AFC Bournemouth and Southampton Football Club. Despite facing a health setback at eighteen, Lallana’s determination led him to undergo surgery and continue playing. In 2014, he joined Liverpool FC for a reported £25 million and has since made over 30 appearances for England, representing his nation in major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro.

Quick Facts

  • Name: Adam David Lallana
  • Age: 35 years
  • Spouse: Emily Jubb (m. 2013)
  • Father: David Lallana
  • Mother: Sharon Lallana
  • Siblings: Natalie Lallana
  • Children: Albie George, Arthur Michael
  • Born Country: England
  • Occupation: Football Player
  • Height: 5’8″ (173 cm)

Childhood & Early Life

Adam David Lallana was born on 10 May 1988, in St Albans, located in Hertfordshire, England. His father, David Lallana, is the founding-master of a football Masonic lodge, which aims to work at the grassroots level. His mother’s name is Sharon Lallana. He has a sister called Natalie Lallana.

When he was five years old, his parents moved to Iford, a suburb of Bournemouth, where his father ran a care home. Therefore, his childhood was spent among the elderly and dying.

He had his early education at Corpus Christi School but later moved to St Peter’s Catholic Comprehensive School. However, football was a part of his life even at that age, and he followed his father in supporting Everton Football Club.

At the age of six, he began to attend a Monday Night Football Club run by Terry Wateridge on behalf of AFC Bournemouth. Initially, he was turned down because the program was meant for older boys, but he kept coming back, smiling indelibly, until he was allowed to join in.

From the beginning, he had “incredibly quick feet”. His coach, Wateridge, would later say, “Very, very confident on the ball. He’s what I call a clever footballer. Some boys can see the next move, and Adam was like that.”

At the age of eleven, he joined Frappier Clinic in London, where he worked on his speed. Soon after that, he was spotted by a talent scout from Southampton Football Club and was eventually picked up by the club in September 2000.

To enable him to join Southampton, the Premier League club paid £3,000 as compensation to Bournemouth. Later, as he signed a scholarship contract, the club made a further payment of £5,000 to Bournemouth and £10,000 when he signed a professional contract.

At Southampton FC

In September 2000, twelve-year-old Adam Lallana began his training at Saints Academy under George Prost, Southampton’s youth coach. At that time, the predominant player formation in English football was 4-4-2. However, Prost introduced 4-2-3-1 formation in the junior level, which suited Lallana perfectly.

In 2004, he joined Southampton’s FA Youth Cup squads, remaining with it till 2006. Meanwhile in 2005, he suffered from ulcerative colitis and that along with an irregular heartbeat temporarily deterred his development.

In July 2006, he joined the first team squad, making his debut on 23 August, beating Yeovil Town Football Club by 5-2 goals in the League Cup. On 31 October, he signed a new contract with Southampton, extending his tenure till December 2009.

Sometime in 2006-07, at the age of eighteen, he underwent a surgery to rectify his irregular heartbeat. In October 2007, he returned to Bournemouth on one month’s loan. Thereafter, he continued to play for Southampton, making five appearances in 2007-08.

On 28 April 2008, Adam Lallana scored his first professional goal while playing in a Premier League match against West Bromwich Albion FC. A couple of years ago, he had also debuted in international football, playing against Slovenia in an under-eighteen tournament.

On 29 August 2008, he signed a three-year extension with Southampton. Eventually in the 2008-09 season, he made a total of 43 appearances for the club, scoring two goals.

In the 2009-10 season, he made 56 appearances, scoring a total of 20 goals, 15 of which were in the league matches, one in FA Cup, two in the League Cup and two in other matches. This made him the first Southampton midfielder to score so many goals since 1994-95.

In 2010-11, he took part in 41 matches, scoring 11 goals, and was named in League One PFA Team of the Year for the 2010–11 season for the feat. On 7 January 2011, he signed a new contract with Southampton that would remain valid till the summer of 2015.

In 2013, he debuted on the international scene, winning his first cap for England on 15 November by starting a friendly match against Chile. Although he could not score any goal, his performance received favorable reviews.

Joining Liverpool FC

In 2014, Liverpool Football Club entered into a long negotiation with Southampton, reportedly placing a £25 million bid on Adam Lallana. Eventually, Lallana joined Liverpool FC sometime in July 2014. He was handed over the jersey number 20, which he had worn both at Bournemouth and Southampton.

Because of an injury, he missed the start of the Premier League season, eventually joining his team on 13 September 2014. On 4 October, he scored his first goal for Liverpool in a match against West Bromwich Albion. In all, he appeared in 41 matches in 2014-15, scoring 6 goals.

Equally active on the international scene, he made 11 appearances for England in 2014, 6 in 2015 and 10 in 2016, scoring his first English goal on 4 September 2016, in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match. His second English goal was scored on 11 November 2016.

In August 2017, while participating in the Audi Cup final, Adam Lallana sustained considerable injury, as a result of which, he had to miss quite a few national and international matches. However, he has made a comeback since then, participating among others in the UEFA Champions League Final in 2018 and 2019.

Awards & Achievements

On 6 May 2014, Adam Lallana was crowned as both the Southampton Players’ Player and Fans’ Player of the Year.

On 19 April 2015, he was awarded the Football Manager Team of the Decade at the Football League Awards.

In 2017, he won the Vauxhall England Player of the Year Award for 2016 after his performance for the national team.

Family & Personal Life

On 24 December 2013, Adam Lallana married his longtime girlfriend, Emily Jubb. The couple had been dating for seven years. They are now the proud parents of two sons, Arthur Michael, born in 2012, and Albie George, born in 2015.

Trivia

This player is known by the nickname ‘The Jigsaw’. In 2014, he was signed as a French Connection model, promoting their autumn/winter collection.

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