Friday, 19th September, 2014
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana admits that he almost has to pinch himself to believe he is competing in the Champions League against Europe’s elite clubs.
The England international joined the Reds from Southampton this summer for a reported transfer fee of £25m on a five-year contract.
Lallana is a product of Southampton’s youth academy and made more than 250 appearances for the club before leaving for Liverpool after the World Cup.
The 26-year-old played a crucial part in the Saints gaining promotion from the third tier of English football to the Premier League in a short span of time.
But the midfielder is finding it difficult to process the fact that in a very short period of time he has graduated from playing in League One to brushing shoulders with the top players in the Champions League.
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"It's just so exciting”, Lallana told the club’s official site.
“Five years ago I was playing in League One with Southampton. We gradually progressed up the leagues, but I never thought I'd be competing in the Champions League.”
The Englishman is excited at the prospect of playing against ten-time European Cup winners Real Madrid and believes Liverpool are strong enough to get results against the defending European champions.
"Just looking at the fixtures now…going to the Bernabeu, having Madrid here at Anfield, there's going to be a cracking atmosphere. We feel confident we can get results."
The Reds will take on West Ham at Upton Park tomorrow as they look to bounce back from their league defeat against Aston Villa last weekend.
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