Adam Lallana has heaped praise on Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and says he admires the German's sincerity towards his players.
Klopp jokingly described himself as "the normal one" upon his presentation as Liverpool boss back in October and Lallana feels the former Borussia Dortmund coach's description of himself was quite apt.
"Klopp really is brilliant to listen to," Lallana told The Telegraph. "He seems to have an off-the-cuff way about him. You can't imagine him sitting in his office preparing a team talk. He just goes with the flow and it’s all genuine. One hundred per cent.
"The way he describes himself as 'normal' is true. There is no ego, but an abundance of charisma and an aura. He means what he says.
"He'll be your mate, but not your best mate. He's not going to go for a pint with us after a match, but he'll call you into the office and have a chat if it's needed."
Lallana came through the same Southampton youth set-up that produced Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott, but insists he was never in the same bracket as that duo.
"I was a late developer. While Bale and Walcott had the 'X-factor', I was just gradually improving. I did not play my first full season until I was 21," he added.
"I was professional, but not to the point I should have been in terms of how I ate or how committed I was when I was younger. You have to be 100 per cent committed and professional from the youngest age or you won't cope.
"My first season in League One under Alan Pardew was a big year for me. It was a good thing for me to have two seasons in League One and grow. When we got to the Championship I was ready. By 24 and the Premier League I was captain and then [Mauricio] Pochettino came and that's where I stepped up."
