ADAM LALLANA has announced his retirement from football after a near two-decade career.
The Southampton midfielder, 37, returned to his boyhood club last season.
Lallana took temporary charge of the Saints following the dismissal of Ivan Juric in April.
The 37-year-old former England star announced his decision to retire on in an emotional Instagram post.
He wrote: “Since making my professional debut in 2006, I realise I’ve been blessed to live the dream that millions of people share.
“As I call time on my playing career, I do so with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and pride.
“Southampton… the place where it all started, and fittingly where it ends.
“It’s the club I ultimately owe everything to.
“[To] England… every single cap meant the world to me.
“Representing my country was the greatest honour. I’m proud of the playing career I’ve had and have no regrets about any of it.
“I embrace all the highs and all the lows as they’ve shaped me into who I am.
“To everyone who made the journey so special, the staff at each club and organisation, the managers and coaches, my teammates, and of course the supporters – thank you.
“But most of all, to my own team… my family. My wife Emily, our amazing sons, my mum, dad and sister, thank you for putting up with me and being in my corner through it all.
“I’m excited for whatever the future brings.”
Lallana came through the youth ranks at St Marys, breaking into the team as a teenager.
He played a total of 283 games for Southampton over two spells, helping them rise from League One to the Europa League.
Lallana joined Liverpool in 2014 for a reported £25million.
He would spend the next six seasons at Anfield, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.
Following a spell with Brighton, Lallana returned to Southampton in the summer of 2024 on a one-year deal.
He was put in temporary charge in April after Juric left following a disastrous spell, with the club already relegated back to the Championship.
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