GARETH RIGHT TO AXE ME
Lallana backs England boss
ADAM LALLANA says England boss Gareth Southgate was right to axe him for the World Cup.
Lallana was gutted when he just missed out on a place in Southgate’s squad for Russia.
Southgate rang the Liverpool playmaker to explain he left him out because he had barely figured last season due to injury.
Lallana understood Southgate’s thinking and insists he will use the disappointment of missing out on England’s charge to the semi-finals as motivation to become a big player for his country again.
He said: “Gareth has been absolutely brilliant. It probably wasn’t a comfortable call for him but he still made it, like he made it for the other lads who missed out.
Massive
“I know that if my season had been different and I had been fit, I would have been there. But it was probably the right call.
“He said you don’t gain your form in a tournament, going on history and past experiences. Listen, the lads had a massive tournament but I’m sure I have still got a lot to give. I’ll be there in the next camp.”
Picking a fully-fit Lallana would have been a no-brainer for Southgate and he is a big fan of the attacking midfielder. The England boss says Lallana remains a key player for him and the player was heartened by his words.
He added: “I still feel that’s the case. If I had been fit and had a half-decent season in terms of availability, there’s no shadow of a doubt that I would have been there. That’s in the past and I’m
from DAVID ANDERSON in New York
back in pre-season, three weeks down the line.” Lallana, 30, got over his huge disappointment to cheer England on and he was delighted for Liverpool pal Jordan Henderson when they reached the last four, where Croatia knocked them out.
He said: “Of course, it was frustrating because I wanted to be there.
“Sometimes when you are a professional footballer, you have to deal with tough decisions. So I was just supporting them like any other fan.
“My best mate Jordan was there and he was one of the best players. It was great to see him do so well. It was a remarkable achievement.”
Lallana was not the only Liverpool player hurting over not making it to the World Cup with England.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would have been there too but for a knee injury, which will rule him out of most of next season too.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed Oxlade-Chamberlain wanted to keep the extent of his injury under wraps to avoid being a distraction before the Champions League final.
Lallana added: “We obviously knew the full extent of the injury, more or less, when it happened but we wanted the focus to be on the final.
“It’s now up to myself and the other lads to have a good season for him.”