Jurgen Klopp faces a Liverpool ‘legend’ on Saturday afternoon and how he will be wishing he does not come back to haunt his side.
That was the status the Reds boss thrust onto midfielder Adam Lallana on his departure from the club this summer.
The 32-year-old left Anfield after six years, 178 appearances, 22 goals and 22 assists and joined Brighton on a free transfer.
Jurgen Klopp faces a Liverpool ‘legend’ on Saturday afternoon in midfielder Adam Lallana
The 32-year-old joined Brighton on a free transfer this summer after end to his Liverpool deal
Lallana spent six years at Merseyside giants and was part of title-winning squad last season
‘We still miss him but most people at the club still have contact with him, just not this week! He’s a friend for life,’ Klopp said on Friday.
Lallana has made a promising start to life at the Seagulls but he can be his most influential this weekend.
Adored by those associated with the Merseyside giants, Lalllana has lived and breathed almost half of his career as a Red.
Arriving before Klopp he remained as the German boss took them to the top of English and European football.
The pair struck up a close bond with the skilful midfielder willing to learn, work hard and adapt his game to Klopp’s methods. He was one of the first to initiate the 53-year-old’s gegenpress tactic in England.
‘I remember one of his first meetings when he arrived,’ Lallana told Sportsmail in 2016. ‘He told us he was going to be our friend but not our best friend. That’s how it should be. I see him taking his bins out, we take each other’s mail. We just have a relationship like normal people do.’
Arriving before Klopp he remained as Reds went to the top of English and European football
The Englishman lived next door to Klopp and Lallana has previously spoken of how the manager cheered his son up by giving him a wave through the window.
Lallana was a key figure in the first part of Klopp’s tenure at Anfield. As the years went on he saw fewer and fewer minutes on the pitch as fresh faces were brought in and injuries halted his progress. He made just nine Premier League starts in the last three seasons.
Nevertheless Lallana is held in high regard by his former manager and he paid tribute to him when he exited for the south coast.
‘For now, if you ask me about it, I miss already everything about him. He is one of the most influential players on the training quality I have ever had in my life. He is an incredible professional,’ he said.
If fit Lallana will face good friend and Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson on Saturday
‘So he is one of the most important players of the time since I am here so I wish him only the best for the future.
‘From my point of view he is already a legend here, so he can become a legend somewhere else from next season on.’
Lallana can make some steps towards that when Brighton welcome the Premier League champions where they will be looking to win their first top-flight home game against them.
Whether he can have the impact on the pitch relies on a late fitness test after sustaining a groin injury at Aston Villa last time out but still he can use his inside knowledge on his former boss and team-mates to huge advantage.
Brighton boss Graham Potter is fully aware he can tap into Lallana’s expertise on champions
His current boss Graham Potter is fully aware that he can tap into Lallana’s expertise on a side that Brighton have not beaten in their previous nine meetings.
‘We talk a lot generally anyway,’ Potter said. ‘So it’s totally normal that you would chat about somewhere where he spent seven years of his career.
‘Yeah, we’ve had a slight chat but he’s a player and that’s his responsibility. My responsibility, as a coach is to try to pick the right team and to put an idea together that gives us a chance in the game, but it would be a bit foolish of me not to use Adam as a resource.’
Lallana and Klopp struck up a close bond at Liverpool and used live next door to each other
If declared fit Lallana will do battle with good friend and Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson (who is battling to prove his own fitness) in the middle of the park. Lallana could not hold in the emotion when paying tribute to him in his final interview as a Liverpool player and had to wipe away tears.
Henderson wrote himself into Liverpool history by becoming their first captain to lift the Premier League title last campaign but Lallana has played down his own importance to the Reds, struggling to believe that he is a ‘legend’.
‘It’s a great compliment, but I am not comfortable talking about myself and using that word, there are far more legends associated with that football club,’ he said.
Legend or not, Lallana knows Liverpool like the back of his hand and he can use it to give Brighton an edge. The love-in will be put to one side at the Amex Stadium on Saturday lunchtime… for just 90 minutes.