LALLANA WINS 2016 ENGLAND PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Liverpool playmaker Adam Lallana has been awarded the 2016 England Player of the Year, following a vote by the England Supporters Club.

The Three Lions star picked up the award ahead of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy and Red Devils skipper Wayne Rooney.

Lallana earned almost 40 percent of the votes, Vardy pulled 12 percent, four more ahead of the skipper.

In the Under 21 category Nathan Redmond was awarded the top player for last year. The Southampton player picked 32 percent of the votes ahead of James Ward-Prowse who picked 25 percent of the votes. Chelsea player Ruben Loftus-Cheek garnered 12 percent.

Lallana was a top choice ahead of the votes, going by the 28-year old’s form. He netted his first international goal September last year in the game against Slovakia. He increased his tally in the clashes against Scotland and Spain in the last international break.

“The award is a huge honour. The last three winners were Rooney [2014 and 2015], and Steven Gerrard [2012] so that just goes to show what a great achievement this is. Things have been going well this season for my club so that always helps,” Lallana said.
He said playing well for his club helped him transmit the form to the English national team. He added that he would improve in the coming year looking at how the English setup fared generally last year.

“... hopefully we can build on how it started under Gareth Southgate, as there have been plenty of positives,” he said.

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp was quick to praise the player after he won the award. Klopp said Lallana deserved it as “he had an outstanding year.”

England are set to face Lithuania on March 26 when their campaign for Russia 2018 continues.