Saturday 19 September 2015 11:14, UK
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers believes Adam Lallana will prove to be a key player for the club this season if he can find consistency.
Lallana, who signed for the club from Southampton in 2014, returned from injury to score in the Reds' 1-1 draw in Bordeaux in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The 27-year-old England midfielder struggled to find his best form in his first season at Anfield but enjoyed a strong start to the current campaign before spending a month on the sidelines with a thigh problem.
Rodgers said: "When he's played he has been excellent and if he plays consistently over a period of time, Adam will reach the numbers that we would like from him.
"I think it is only injuries that have curbed that so far but his goal on Thursday will be great for his confidence.
"He has not been training that long, so to come through 90 minutes of a game at that level and score the goal he did shows he has got his eye back in very early, and he will be looking to push on now."
Lallana himself believes he can be more effective in a central role, in which he played against the French Ligue 1 club on Thursday.
Lallana said: "I definitely need to start delivering that quality in the box more consistently now.
"I was happy with the goal and I was playing in a more central role, which gave me a chance to do that.
"I feel I can give a lot to the team there, and I was delighted to get on the scoresheet and get a goal like that.
"It's what I want to do now. At 27, I want to take responsibility, and contribute towards the team.
"It has been a difficult start for me, but I'm fit now and ready to contribute.
"There is still a long way to go, there is still a lot of work to be done. It is a massive game for us on Sunday [against Norwich] in many ways, and we have to concentrate on producing in that now."
