Liverpool legend Ray Houghton feels Adam Lallana's form this season stems from the fact that he finally believes that he is good enough to play for a club of the Reds’ stature.
The midfielder, who joined Liverpool from Southampton in the summer of 2014, struggled to hit the heights expected initially, given the club's £25m outlay.
However, Lallana has been in superb form in the current campaign, scoring three goals and providing five assists in 12 appearances in all competitions.
And Houghton, who thinks the most important reason behind Lallana’s resurgence this season is that he now believes that he deserves to play at a club of Liverpool’s size, added that the 28-year-old has also benefitted from playing a bit deeper in the present campaign.
“I think he has been absolutely outstanding this season”, Houghton said on LFC TV.
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“He has been playing a different role, this season he’s playing a little deeper in the midfield three.
“In previous seasons at Liverpool he was a little bit higher. But I think he’s seeing the game a little bit better from there.
“He’s getting on the ball more, tracking back and helping out defensively. I think his overall game has improved.
“More importantly, he actually believes he’s a Liverpool player now.
“I think when he first came in he was a little bit in awe of where he was and from where he came from.
“But this season he has settled in very well and he seems to me that he’s a main player.
“If he’s fit on Sunday, for me, he plays.”
Lallana, who missed Liverpool’s last three matches in all competitions with a groin injury he picked up while on international duty with England last month, may return to action against Bournemouth on Sunday.
