Southampton have confirmed the signing of Adam Lallana on a one-year contract.

The midfielder returns to St Mary’s ten years on from his last appearance of a highly successful first spell with the club, in which he progressed through the Academy and played 265 games for the first team, scoring 60 goals.

Lallana initially joined the Staplewood ranks at the age of 12, embarking on a 14-year association with Saints that saw him win back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, as well as the 2010 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, including a goal in the final at Wembley.

The 36-year-old was later named Southampton captain and earned a first England senior call-up in 2013, before departing for Liverpool in the summer of 2014. At Anfield, Lallana won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in 2019, before landing the Premier League title in 2019/20.

He now returns to Southampton as Russell Martin’s first summer signing following a four-season stint with Brighton, bringing with him a wealth of top-level experience including 291 Premier League appearances and 34 caps for England.

Speaking about his Staplewood homecoming, Lallana said: “I’ve been no stranger – my son’s at the Academy, so I’m in and around it quite a bit, but I’ve not been this close to being home, so it’s amazing. It does feel surreal, but it’s an opportunity I’m extremely grateful for and I’m looking forward to.

“When I started speaking to Russell and understood there was a little bit of interest, it was something I knew straightaway felt right in my head and in my heart that it was something I needed to pursue, and it came through in the end.

“I’m extremely happy to come back to where it all started. Although it sounds like a bit of a fairy tale, in my head there’s still a job to do and I’m really confident I’ve still got a lot to give to this football club.”