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Adam Lallana says he “needs time to reflect” before deciding on his future after choosing to leave Brighton at the end of this season.
The former England midfielder, 36, joined from Liverpool in 2020 and has made 105 appearances for the club including 94 in the Premier League.
Lallana says he and the Seagulls have been on a “remarkable” journey but the time is right to move on, despite manager Roberto de Zerbi’s intention to keep him.
“I’ve been in talks with Roberto [de Zerbi] for the past couple of months and he expressed his wishes for me to stay and keep playing,” Lallana told BBC Radio Sussex.
“But after taking a bit of time to think about where the football club’s at, and myself having been away from my family for the past four years while I’ve been here, I just feel it’s the right time.”
Lallana has made 29 appearances for Brighton this season but has been an unused substitute in two of their past three matches.
“The journey we’ve been on as a football club was remarkable and I was fortunate to be here this season during a European campaign,” he added.
“I feel like I’ve played quite a lot of football this season, maybe a little bit too much with all the injuries we’ve had, but I’ve loved every minute of it.
“I’ve been speaking to my family throughout the year and the biggest influence on my decision was that my kids needed me.”
The midfielder says he has a special relationship with De Zerbi, who he sees like “an older brother”, and found it difficult to inform the manager of his decision.
“That was probably the most difficult conversation, going in to see Roberto and tell him I’d decided to move on. The minute I said that my family was at the forefront of my decision, he totally understood.
“Our relationship goes beyond player and coach – he’s like an older brother to me.”
Lallana won 34 England caps and both the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool before moving to Amex Stadium.
He says he would like to continue playing but needs to “rest his mind” after the end of this season.
He added: “I think I want to carry on playing – I still think there’s a little bit in the tank left. I just felt like it was the right time to leave Brighton.
“I always said that I never wanted to outstay my welcome at this football club. I wanted to leave when the time’s right and it feels that the right time is now.”
