Today?s Player of the Day is the Southampton and now England attacking midfielder Adam Lallana. Having been with Southampton since he was 12 years old, Lallana has gone on to become a fan favourite amongst the Saints supporters, making over 200 appearances for the club to date. His recent performances in both the Championship and Premier League have earned Lallana his first senior call up for England for their 2014 World Cup Qualifier against Ukraine.
Lallana was a member of the Bournemouth Centre of Excellence, where his rich potential was eventually spotted by a talent scout from Southampton, with Lallana snapped up by the then-Premier League club, joining the Saints Academy as a 12-year old in 2000.
Lallana was involved in Southampton's FA Youth Cup squads of 2004?05 and 2005?06, when they reached the final and semi-final respectively.
Lallana joined the first team squad in July 2006, making his debut on 23 August 2006, in a 5?2 victory over Yeovil Town, in the League Cup. On 31 October 2006 he signed a new contract to keep him at Southampton until December 2009. On 28 April 2008, Lallana scored his first professional goal for Southampton against West Bromwich Albion in a crucial Championship clash, with a well placed finish in the bottom left corner.
He became a regular in the first team at the start of the 2008?09 season. On 29 August 2008, he signed a new three year deal with the Saints.
He finished the 2009?10 season with a total of twenty goals in all competitions, netting his 20th on the final day of the season against Southend United. This made him the first Southampton midfielder to score twenty goals in a season since Matthew Le Tissier's 30 in the 1994?95 season.
On 7 January 2011, Lallana signed a new contract with Southampton which expires in the summer of 2015. He was named in the League One Team of the Year for the 2010?11 season after scoring 11 goals that season.
He then scored on the opening day of the 2011?12 season, a 3?1 victory over Leeds United at St Mary's Stadium which broke a 12-year hoodoo of Southampton not winning on the opening day and secured a record-breaking seventh consecutive league win. He then scored twice in a 5?2 victory at Ipswich Town. His 150th start for the club came in a 1?1 draw at south coast rivals Portsmouth. His tenth goal of the season came in a 4?0 victory over Derby County. He then grabbed a brace in a 2?0 victory over Barnsley. He was nominated for the Player of the Year award but lost out to teammate Rickie Lambert. Along with Lambert and Kelvin Davis, he was one of three Southampton players named in the Championship Team of the Year for the 2011?12 season. He scored on the final day of the campaign to finish with 13 goals, 11 of which came in the league.
He made his first Premier League appearance on the opening day of the 2012?13 season, setting up a goal and wearing the captain's armband in a match against Manchester City.
Become a fan of Lallana on Facebook by liking his Official PFA page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adam-Lallana/129389437190681
Source: DSG
Source: DSG