Southampton bring back former captain Lallana ahead of Premier League return

Southampton have re-signed their former captain Adam Lallana after the midfielder left Brighton and Hove Albion as a free agent.

Lallana initially joined Southampton at the age of 12 and was with the club for 14 years before he left for Liverpool in a £25million deal in 2014.

During eight years with the Saints’ first team, he made 265 appearances and scored 60 goals, helping them win back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League as well as lifting the EFL Trophy at Wembley Stadium in 2010.

He then went on to help Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool win the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies before joining Brighton in 2020.

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He heads back to St Mary’s as Russell Martin’s first signing ahead of their return to the Premier League, after Southampton earned promotion by beating Leeds United 1-0 in last month’s Championship play-off final.

Speaking to Southampton’s website, Lallana said: “I’ve been no stranger. My son’s at the academy, so I’m in and around it quite a bit, but I’ve not been this close to being home, so it’s amazing.

“Although it sounds like a bit of a fairytale, in my head there’s still a job to do and I’m really confident I’ve still got a lot to give to this football club.”

Southampton will discover their Premier League fixtures for 2024-25 on Tuesday, when the schedule for the new campaign will be released.