Jack Wilshere grabbed the headlines when England disposed of a brave Slovenia last month. The Arsenal midfielder netted twice in the victory, with two stunning goals. England captain Wayne Rooney pounced to score the winner, but it was the performance of £25m Liverpool Adam Lallana that rejuvenated the struggling Three Lions. The former Southampton midfielder had been introduced at half time, and had a hand in both of Wilshere’s goals. Lallana’s performance had been overlooked by many, which sums his England career up somewhat.

Not since Joe Cole have England possessed a player as unique as Lallana. However the Liverpool man is enduring many of the same problems that Aston Villa midfielder Cole battled against for the national side. The ex-Saints captain’s stellar performances for the South Coast side convinced Reds manager Brendan Rodgers to fork out £25m during the now infamous summer spending spree of 2014. Lallana is an elegant footballer, with the ability to glide with the ball at his feet – a highly skilled technician, to use a ‘Brendanism’. His key role in the Southampton resurgence was not all based on silky skills, though, the midfielder performed well in the pressing system employed by former manager Maurcio Pochettino, too. Lallana is no passenger.

England currently have a wealth of options to deploy behind their strikers, but perhaps he is truly the most unique. The likes of Raheem Sterling, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andros Townsend and Theo Walcott have appeared in a 4-2-3-1 formation either side of captain Wayne Rooney. When Roy Hodgson employs a 4-3-1-2 formation, Raheem Sterling appears to get the nod playing behind Rooney and whoever partners him.

The aforementioned players are largely natural wingers. Sterling has performed well in ‘the hole,’ but he likes to drag defenders wide to best utilise his pace. Lallana, like Joe Cole before him, is seemingly unable to find a natural starting berth in Hodgson’s side. Despite his technical prowess, Lallana has often been shunted out on the left, much like former Chelsea midfielder Cole had been during his own international career. England’s ‘left sided problem’ has been much talked about over the years, and the more technical players produced in this country have often been placed there.

Lallana thrives in tight spaces, he is not a natural wide man. He may not solve all of England’s problems on the national stage (who can?), but his silky performance against Slovenia begs the question – what could he achieve playing in a more natural position? He battled well to win back possession and set up Wilshere’s first strike, and his back heel allowed the Gunner to to fire in his second. England are currently in posession of some fine technicians such as Wilshere and Rooney, and if Lallana can build on his rapport with them, we may see more of the free flowing football on show in that game.

This is not a call for Lallana to be selected over Rooney as a number 10. He merely provides another option, and heading into a European Championship next summer, strength in depth is vital.

Of course, like Cole had to, Lallana must first sort out his club form on Merseyside before dreaming of England glory. His first season has been a disappointment at Anfield, though injuries throughout the campaign can take some of the blame. Cole never flourished at Anfield after a trophy-laden spell at Chelsea, and his outstanding potential was never truly realised – despite all his trophies from his time in West London. Lallana must improve for Liverpool or risk suffering a similar fate. The demise of a technically gifted footballer is too often seen, and a real shame for a country such as ours, who have struggled to produce them.

Adam Lallana clearly won’t solve every single problem dogging the Three Lions. However, after showing promise against Slovenia it would be unwise of Roy Hodgson not to build on this momentum. Adam Lallana himself must build on his move to a club as prestigious as Liverpool, or risk falling by the wayside, much like Joe Cole.