England manager Gareth Southgate has said that he has been "really impressed" by Adam Lallana during his time in charge of the team.
The Liverpool midfielder was named England's player of the year for 2016 and was again one of the standout performers in their opening matches of 2017, hitting the post against Germany on Wednesday before laying on the second goal during Sunday's 2-0 win over Lithuania.
Lallana has quickly become a key member of Southgate's starting XI, and the England boss hailed his impact both on and off the ball.
"Adam injects something. He created a really good opening just before the first goal. The game in tight areas is where his quick feet and quick brain stand out," he told reporters.
"[Lithuania] wasn't an easy game for us to press because as soon as you press it was going longer, so there weren't so many opportunities for us to turn the ball over high up the pitch and counter on it.
"He starts that press off and he's a player I am really, really impressed with in terms of his mentality and ability."
Lallana has now made 31 appearances for England, scoring three goals.
Barney Corkhill
