Returning legend didn't know his Southampton career will end in silent farewell | OneFootball

Adam Lallana has been given Southampton's assistant manager role in a campaign which could be his last as a player.

In over 139 years of club history, Southampton has seen many young talents nurturing into club heroes and a few to the status of a legend. Yet, not all of them get celebrated the same way.

Ever wondered why such a demarcation? Well, definitely it depends on the player's contributions but no one can deny that it largely depends on the club where one retires.

After all, just imagine, retiring in front of home fans in a pre-announced farewell game. Arguably, little could be more poetic than this.

But, as auspicious as it sounds, this opportunity is extremely rare given the unpredictable nature of football.

Take, for instance, Southampton icon Adam Lallana's case. Despite being one of the best St. Mary's ever seen, the legendary midfielder might have been forced into a silent farewell.

This is because as per a Daily Echo report, Lallana's job at Southampton has expanded from being just a player to also an assistant manager for caretaker Simon Rusk.

Now, given he remains a squad member, it's natural to expect more from the 36-year-old on the pitch, right? Sadly, that optimism doesn’t seem to reflect reality.

Adam Lallana's playing time feels to have seen a close already

In case you remember, Lallana had expressed earlier that his Southampton return amidst managerial roles was only driven by his dream to retire at his childhood club. But now, that his career has taken a management leap again, it's hard to imagine him continuing as a player.

Otherwise also, having been sidelined under Juric, a Lallana comeback feels extremely difficult apart from his new role duties.

Thus, a career that saw Lallana serve the Saints multiple times in red and white now feels like it’s ending with a premature farewell.

Still, if there’s even a 1% chance left, let it end the way it should, Lallana walking off the St. Mary’s pitch one last time to the sound of his name.