Gareth gets Adam’s wait off his mind

IF the eyes of the football world were firmly fixed on Paris last night, then at least one pair were cast anxiously Anfield way.

That would have been Gareth Southgate, the England manager, whose midfield is beginning to resemble one of those races in It’s A Knockout, where the contestants crash out of the running with catastrophic hilarity.

Adam Lallana hasn’t donned the giant costume just yet, but his absence from the Liverpool team for so long has given Southgate (before) a headache, such is his need for the midfielder to start some games.

This was only his third of the season, and realistically, with the Reds’ front three in such devastating form, there may not be too many more chances.

Southgate needed a sign of match fitness and sharpness from the man who was the first name on his teamsheet last season.

He will be a relieved man this morning, because he got it. Lallana showed few signs of rustiness, and crucially none of the fears associated with a player coming back from serious injury. The 29-year-old was aggressive and industrious, with a touch of technical spice too.

Perhaps Southgate has a smattering of Portuguese and requested his influential midfielder had his mettle tested. Lallana (below) took some treatment from Maxi Pereira in his stride, and showed his lengthy lay-off has dimmed none of his energy, nor his elusive running with and without the ball.

In fact, he was perhaps the pick of the front three, and given Roberto Firmino is Liverpool’s top scorer in Europe this season and Sadio Mane has scored in his last three games, that was some achievement.

Lallana looks ready if, or when, his chance comes. If this second leg meant little to Liverpool after their epic victory in Porto, then it meant the world to the midfielder, and he showed that with impressive intent.