Adam Lallana: Rickie Lambert will help me settle quicker at Liverpool

Adam Lallana believes the presence of Rickie Lambert will help the midfielder settle quicker at Liverpool.

The 26-year-old sealed a £25m move to the Reds from Southampton on Tuesday which sees the England international link up with his former Southampton team-mate, penning a long-term deal at Anfield.

It’s Rickie’s boyhood club and a club I can’t wait to be a part of

Adam Lallana

Lallana, who scored nine goals and made six assists in the Premier League last season, is the Reds’s third deal of the summer following Lambert’s £4m switch and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can.

And the former Bournemouth youth player is expecting the settling in process to be relatively seamless, with his close friend Lambert, who started his career at the Merseyside club, also at Liverpool.

Asked how much of a help the 32-year-old would be, Lallana replied: “A massive help. I’ve spent the last four or five years with him.

“We’ve had great careers at Southampton and achieved something special, but we’re both thoroughly looking forward to the new challenge.

“It’s Rickie’s boyhood club and a club I can’t wait to be a part of.”

Lallana revealed that his father was the first person that the England man spoke to about his potential Liverpool move.

“Probably my dad, my family and my wife,” Lallana added.

“A lot of my close friends are Southampton fans, but they understand. They understand this is an opportunity that you just can’t turn down.

“At the age I’m at, 26 now, it’s just the right step. I’m sure most people will understand my decision.”