The former Liverpool and Brighton midfielder has returned to his old club this summer.
Lallana, who left Brighton at the end of his contract, believes that he can help the St. Mary’s Stadium club avoid going straight back down after promotion.
He told club media: “This time last year I met Prowsey (James Ward-Prowse) for a coffee. Prowsey understood that he might be leaving and that the club needed to sell him.
"Losing a personality like that can be really costly for a football club. I think Russell and his team need to take credit for the loan signings he brought in and the core of British players here.
“It’s not easy doing that when you’ve just come into a job. He was trying to build a relationship with all the backroom staff while trying to get results and win promotion.”