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Adam Lallana previously admitted he felt wounded when Jurgen Klopp informed him his services were no longer required at Liverpool. The former Red arrived at the club in 2014 for £25millionand enjoyed six seasons at Anfield, claiming numerous major trophies including the Premier League and Champions League.

His Merseyside chapter concluded in 2020 when the club opted against extending his deal at the close of their triumphant 2019/20 title-winning campaign. Across his 178 outings during six years with Liverpool, Lallana registered 22 goals and provided 21 assists.

Though Brendan Rodgers secured Lallana's signature - who hung up his boots last summer - from Southampton, he developed a strong bond with Klopp following the German's arrival as manager in October 2015.

The former England international featured regularly during the initial phase of Klopp's tenure but gradually found himself demoted to a peripheral role through injury setbacks and the considerable talent the club brought in.

Lallana managed only 53 outings in all competitions during his final three campaigns at the club, finding the net once. With uncertainty surrounding his prospects heading into his concluding year, he confessed he sensed his departure was imminent.

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Following a candid chat with Klopp, Lallana confessed to feeling discarded as he revealed: "I went in and asked the question because I wanted to know what my future looked like. I had half an idea what the answer would be, but felt it would be better to know and to have a frank conversation.

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"We had that much respect for each other. It is a weird feeling when you get told that you are kind of not wanted any more. There is an initial feeling of rejection and I think that's normal in any walk of life.

"But, after a couple of days, when I realised it was going to be my last season at Liverpool, I made sure that I treated every day, every training session, like it was my last and didn't take anything for granted.

"I enjoyed the last six months as much as I did any year while I was at the club." Less than two months after his departure from Liverpool, he signed up with Brighton on a three-year contractand described his time with the Seagulls as an experience he needed to undergo.

"It was difficult to leave," he admitted in 2020. "But I wouldn't say I'm missing it or homesick. Meeting new people and forming new relationships with team-mates is so refreshing and something I needed. It's been absolutely fantastic."

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Lallana is expected to be an interested spectator as his two former teams vie for a spot in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday evening. The Seagulls, who are without a win in their last five matches, head to Anfield with the Reds riding high after a morale-boosting 1-0 victory over Sunderland earlier this week.