Adam Lallana has revealed that his long goodbye at Liverpool lasted nine months, with Jurgen Klopp deciding that he was free to move on in October 2019.
The England international initially expected to hang around at Anfield until May, at which point he would reach the end of his contract.
Serious complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic were, however, to extend the 2020-21 campaign towards the 12-month mark.
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It was July before Lallana finally severed ties with Liverpool, with a move to Brighton made on the back of a Premier League title triumph.