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Lallana thanks fans in full-page ad

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Liverpool confirm Lallana deal (2:14)

Liverpool have secured the signing of Adam Lallana from Southampton. (2:14)

Adam Lallana bid farewell to Southampton fans with a full-page advert in the local newspaper after making his switch to Liverpool.

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Lallana, 26, spent 14 years with the Saints, helping them return to the Premier League after a seven-year absence and rising through the ranks to become club captain.

The England midfielder's advert in the Southern Daily Echo features a large photo of him in Southampton kit, proudly wearing the captain's armband, with the words "thank you" above and a statement to the fans below.

Lallana's message of thanks to the Southampton fans follows suit from the open letter penned by former teammate Rickie Lambert, who has also moved to Liverpool this summer.

The striker, who had himself been at St Mary's for five years, thanked club officials and former teammates by name, before going on to praise the fans.

Liverpool had to be persistent to land Lallana after having two bids turned down and the midfielder was certainly grateful for their efforts, saying that he was delighted to be joining a "special club" after completing the deal on Tuesday.

"I'm so excited for the next chapter of my career, coming to a special club like Liverpool," he said. "I'm quite humbled and I just can't wait to get started.

"Liverpool have got so much history and after the season they had last season, I can't wait to get started and carry on and build on that. Champions League football is back; everyone is telling me that the atmosphere on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at Anfield are something special.

"There had been a lot of toing and froing and [the transfer] had been a little bit longer than I'd anticipated, but it's something I'm not quite used to. I'm grateful that Southampton accepted the offer in the end and granted my wish to play at such a fantastic football club, in Champions League football and competing for Premier League titles."