Jermaine Jenas says Adam Lallana has been Liverpool’s best player so far this season

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The former England midfielder believes the current international has been the stand-out man at Anfield.

Former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas has written for Yahoo Sport that midfielder Adam Lallana has been Liverpool’s best player so far this season and believes he is now “at the peak of his powers”.

Lallana has certainly kicked on this term and has cemented his place as a key component in Jurgen Klopp’s side after winning many fans over in the latter half of last season.

The 28-year-old has already registered two goals and an assist from five Premier League games this term, and is now a player that many Reds supporters will not be able to imagine their side without, a far cry from the early days under Brendan Rodgers when he was seen by many as a spare part.

The former Southampton man looks better and sharper in all areas of his game, and has become noticeably more confident on the ball as well as putting in impressive shifts defensively on a weekly basis.

Jenas believes that this improved defensive side to his game is a key reason for his transformation and is the main factor that has seen his become such a favourite of Klopp’s.

The former England midfielder wrote for Yahoo Sport: “This year [Lallana] has carried on that good form – to the degree that I think he has been the Reds’ best player this season. There is a lot of competition for that accolade… but Lallana has been better than all of them. In the last 12 months he has taken his game to a new level, and the catalyst for this improvement has been unexpected.

“Since Klopp arrived at Liverpool he has been asked to do something else – namely work harder and defend a lot more. And that responsibility seems to have helped him, because he has become fitter, stronger and more effective.

“He still has a creative attacking role, but he’s also being asked to track back, to win tackles and to generally have more of an influence on the game than just being silky on the ball. His biggest attribute is his balance. You can’t predict where he’s going to go because he’s so strong on both sides.”

Not only is Lallana shining at club level, he has also become a key man for England, playing eight times already in 2016, including a regular role at Euro 2016, and scoring an injury-time winner in the first 2018 World Cup qualifier earlier this month.

Such is Lallana’s improvement, Jenas believes he can become as integral a player for the Three Lions as he is developing into for Liverpool.

The ex-pro added: “For Liverpool and England over the next couple of seasons he is going to be the main man. He’s at the peak of his powers.”

Lallana could well be rested for tonight’s EFL Cup clash with Derby County, but is a virtual certainty to start again in the next Premier League fixture, a home tie with Hull City on Saturday.