Klopp – Lallana goal a “wonderful story”

Adam Lallana’s goal at Manchester United on Sunday was a “wonderful story”, according to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Times have been tough for the midfielder in recent years, with injuries curtailing his chances of becoming a regular at Anfield, with groin and hamstring issues preventing him from showing off his talent.
As a result, Sunday’s outcome will have felt like a shot at redemption, allowing Lallana to exorcise some of the demons brought about by his ailments.
Sent on in the 71st minute, the 31-year-old looked sharp and was rewarded for his endeavour by grabbing his team’s equaliser by converting Andrew Robertson’s low cross, as Liverpool lost their perfect record but remained unbeaten following the 1-1 draw.
The strike marked his first goal since May 2017 and he will hope the issue sparks a new chapter in his career, with the former Southampton man potentially playing for a new contract as his current deal expires in the summer.
Neither player nor club have made an indication when concrete negotiations will take place but, following links with AC Milan, Klopp says the parties have recently sat down to discuss the situation and are “completely relaxed”.
Liverpool’s packed schedule means Lallana is sure to be called on again and he could get a start in Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Genk.
Tottenham then visit Anfield on Saturday before Arsenal are the opposition in the pick of the round-of-16 ties in the EFL Cup.
While not a match winner, Lallana’s goal clearly brought a smile to Klopp’s face, admitting the England man was a fitting scorer at Old Trafford after his much-publicised injury issues. “A wonderful story. A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful story,” he told the club’s website. “This weekend we had a long talk in general about our situation, and he is completely relaxed and fine and knows how difficult it is at the moment to come into the team.”