Adam Lallana has been handed a new role as part of Southampton’s coaching team following the sacking of Ivan Juric on Monday.
The news came a day after the Saints immediate return to the Championship was confirmed, less than 10 months after the club gained promotion after beating Leeds United in the Championship play-off final.
Sunday’s 3-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur sealed Southampton’s fate and set an unwanted Premier League record as the first club to ever be relegated with seven games remaining. Juric, who was appointed in late December and lasted just 14 games, was sacked after the Spurs defeat and Simon Rusk has been placed in charge on an interim basis until the end of the season.
He will be assisted in his role by Lallana, who returned to Southampton last year after leaving Brighton & Hove Albion. The 36-year-old ex-Liverpool star has been working on his coaching badges in recent years and helped interim boss Andrew Crofts during his time at Brighton, following the departure of Graham Potter in 2022.
Lallana admitted last year that his interest in coaching began during his time at Liverpool. “I had injuries and you start to see the game differently. You start to think you might not always be a player and then you get to your 30s and it is coming to an end sooner or later, so you start thinking differently. Getting your message across and helping young players.
“At some stage you have to learn on the job,” he added. “You say ‘do I want to be a coach?’. It sounds nice but until you do it and taste, you are not sure.”
The midfielder also earned praise from Juric earlier this year, who claimed he almost considered Lallana as one of his coaching team. “He’s a clever guy with big experience. Sometimes I have a feeling that I can speak with him like he was my assistant, maybe. He told me very interesting things.”
(Image: Getty)
Lallana spent six years at Liverpool as a player, making 178 appearances in that time. He departed in 2020 as the proud owner of winners’ medals in the Premier League and Champions League.
This season, he has struggled to hold down a place in the Southampton side, a situation that has not been helped by injuries. Lallana has started just five Premier League matches for the club. He earned 34 caps during his days as an England international and represented his country at two major tournaments.
