Lallana, Lambert and Lovren discuss Saints

Lambert netted 117 goals in 235 appearances for the Saints during a five-year spell in which he featured regularly alongside local lad Lallana, who became captain of the club in 2012.

Lovren, meanwhile, arrived at Southampton in the summer of 2013 and was part of the side which went from strength to strength under Mauricio Pochettino to secure an eighth-placed finish at the end of last season.

All three switched to Merseyside in the summer of last year - and earlier this week, LFCTV's Peter McDowall joined them at Melwood to discuss their time with the Saints and settling into Liverpool life. 

Watch the video here »

Adam, let's start with you first of all. You arrived at Liverpool in the summer, but you've got a long-standing association with Southampton and I'd imagine some fond memories of being there as well...

Lallana: I grew up in Southampton and from the age of 12 I was at the club. I've got very fond memories. I was there longer with Rickie. I only spent a season there with Dejan. Last season was special for us. It was obviously sad that three of us left, but it's been nice to see Southampton doing so well this season. They've carried on doing well.

Dejan, you spent just a season there, but it's where you made your name, where you became a prominent and very consistent Premier League defender...

Lovren: I came from France to Southampton and it was amazing from the first day. We had a great pre-season with the lads and we had a good start to the season. The people were nice to me and to my family, so I want to thank them for the short time I was there and I will definitely never forget it.

Where love affairs are concerned, it doesn't get much better than yours with Southampton, Rickie. You saw their journey right the way through like Adam...

Lambert: I joined when the club was in League One, so it was a hell of a journey. It was an unbelievable five years, going from League One to the Premier League. Like Adam said, they are progressing again. They're in the top four and it's unbelievable what they have done. To be a part of that was a privilege. There have been some characters there over the years. There's a core of about six players, who were there from the beginning and who stayed all the way through. It was a pleasure just to be around that atmosphere and around the dressing room. It was a good time.

We hinted at this Southampton story before, coming through the lower leagues. You were at the very start of this. It was almost like a revolution, wasn't it?

Lambert: The ambition was clear to see when I first went there. They'd just got relegated, but you could see they were desperate to get out of League One and they weren't going to stop there. They were aiming for the Premier League and aiming for the top four. Everyone laughed at us at the time, but you can see what they are doing now. We probably got to the Premier League faster than we all thought. We did it in three seasons, but we had been aiming to do it in five. 

Lallana: I think the chairman, Nicola Cortese, was very ambitious and I think a lot of credit has to be put down to him. When Nigel Adkins first came in, he got us back-to-back promotions. He had a very good squad and he just kept the squad settled. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary, he just kept it simple. He got the best out of us. We went into the Championship season as underdogs and dark horses and I think that suited us. We just kept winning and winning, went along on a good run and ended up getting back-to-back promotions and we found ourselves in the Premier League.

People talk about Rickie's story being a football fairytale, but Nigel Adkins' is pretty similar, isn't it? He's a guy who managed Sunday league teams, came up through the lower leagues, became the physio and then, all of a sudden, found himself in the manager's job...

Lallana: He kind of got the ball rolling. He's a good manager and he had good staff around him as well. As Rickie said, he just simplified everything and he got the best out of everyone. That's one of the big reasons why we got the back-to-back promotions.

Lambert: There was a lot of pressure on him to get us out of League One, but full credit to him. I don't think any other manager would have got us straight up. He maximised the squad he had. It was probably harder getting out of League One than out of the Championship. We were on a roll, we knew how to play and we all knew each other, so it was probably easier in the Championship.

What about the feeling when he left the club for a new manager?

Lambert: I was disappointed because I knew we were going to stay up with him and I thought it was harsh. Obviously that was before I knew Mauricio [Pochettino]. And over time, I saw how Mauricio worked and his team. Full credit to Nicola again, he brought in a manager who is top-drawer. I think you can see now at Tottenham how good he is.   

Lallana: I can't speak highly enough of Mauricio. Like Rickie, to start off with, I was a little bit baffled [with Nigel] having done so well in getting the promotions. But it wasn't long into Mauricio's reign that I realised what a high quality manager and person he was. The way he got us playing was key to all that. We had players in the squad that bought into his ideas - they wanted to work and wanted to press. We had a special season last season. For me, to see Tottenham doing well, Southampton doing well and now Liverpool doing well is all I can ask for really. Obviously I want to finish above both of them. That's when it will be perfect, but it's no surprise that those teams are doing well.

Lovren: We can say thank-you to Nicola and Mauricio. I went to Southampton and my self-confidence was at the lowest level. In France, for the last six months, I had a bad season. And then I came there and they gave me that confidence and it was easy to play with the lads.

How about Southampton's form this season?

Lambert: They have gone past everyone's expectations. At the beginning I was a little bit surprised, but it's full credit to the new manager and everyone who has been there over the last few years. The new signings have come in and done brillianty.

Lallana: I was worried a little bit at first. But they have Morgan Schneiderlin, Jose Fonte and Nathaniel Clyne. I think they recruited well in the summer. And also the young lads - James Ward-Prowse has come in, Harrison Reed and Matty Targett have done well. They've brought players like Shane Long in. The consistency that they have shown has not just surprised me, but the whole Premier League. It's credit to them that they've kept it up for so long. Now, at the back end of the season, they'll just be taking it game by game. It's a massive game at the weekend because we can go to within a point of Southampton and I think that would be massive from a psychological perspective for us. We'd have the momentum.

Settling into life at Liverpool Football Club has always been a huge thing for everyone who comes here. Do you feel part of the club now? Do you feel at home?

Lovren: I feel at home. Every player needs time to settle down and particularly at such a big club. The start of the season was not brilliant. But with so many new players, it's difficult. I think you need time. Now, I think we can see the improvements and we are doing very well. I hope we will continue like this for the rest of the season. I'm feeling at home. My family are enjoying it here.

Lallana: I feel like I'm settled in now. I've had a couple of frustrating injuries. But it's been a lot easier over the past two or three months because we've been winning games. The start of the season was difficult. At times you do think to yourself that you miss home a little bit more when things aren't going well.

Lambert: You can only really enjoy it if things are going well on the pitch and at the beginning things weren't. And when you look back it was understandable. With so many new signings, it was never going to be as fluent as the end of last season and I think it did hit us a little bit. As you can see now, everyone is settled in and you can see just how good the signings are. You can see by the results. We've lost just once in 17 games. We're getting stronger and stronger. The goals are back and defensively we're solid. You always enjoy it more when you're winning.

What do you think your reception is going to be like at St Mary's?

Lambert: I'm not too sure about Adam's and Dejan's reception!

Lallana: It's part and parcel of the game. If I get heckled and I get a bit of stick, I'll just see it as they miss me!

Lovren: I heard everything in the first game when we played Southampton at Anfield. It's difficult to explain this, but when you have a chance in your life - one chance - you will take it. And I will not regret it [moving to Liverpool]. I'm enjoying it here in Liverpool. I think it's part of football - I need to accept it.

Lambert: We loved our time there. I've got nothing but appreciation and love for the Southampton fans. The relationship I had with them was amazing and that's something that will stay with me after I retire. That will be one of the best memories I have as a footballer. So I am looking forward to going back and it will be nice to see them.