Dion Dublin and Mark Hughes were full of praise for Liverpool favourite Adam Lallana and the sense of intelligence and calmness he has brought to Brighton, as they told Match of the Day Live on Sunday.
Lallana helped Brighton record a very valuable 2-1 win against their relegation rivals Southampton yesterday.
In the summer, Liverpool opted to part ways with the midfielder after a string of injuries ruined his chances of having a real impact on Merseyside.
But Dublin thinks Lallana is someone who is ‘calm under pressure’ because of the number of years he spent at the pressure cooker of a city in Liverpool.
“In that ten role, I think he’s a very intelligent footballer,” said Dublin. “He sees a pass and gets himself into good positions.
“He’s calm under pressure having been at Liverpool for so long where he has learnt his trade. And he does find the right pass at the right time.”
Hughes added: “He’s proven throughout his career that if he gets into the right areas then he can create and he can convert.
“He has had a run of injuries which wouldn’t have helped his continuity and that’s always a worry because you want somebody in the rhythm of the league and performing week in and week out.”
Lallana is a popular figure at Liverpool and if it wasn’t for his injuries he would still be lining up for the champions.
But he is now tasked with trying to keep Brighton in the Premier League even though their performances on many occasions haven’t been met with the desired results.
Given that they have the experience of a Lallana and a Danny Welbeck, plus the qualities of Ben White and Leandro Trossard, it should be enough to keep them in the division but they have a fight on their hands.
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