Adam Lallana says a summer move to Liverpool has helped him to feel more comfortable as part of the England set-up.
The 26-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent years, going from the lower reaches of the third tier to the World Cup finals in Brazil.
He has also completed a big-money switch to Anfield, with Liverpool paying Premier League rivals Southampton £25million for his services.
Lallana claims he is starting to feel more settled in his new surroundings, with club and country, with there now an expectation on him to deliver on the grandest of stages.
He told the Daily Mirror: “When I joined up for the first time (with England), it was a huge thing. You get all the emotion, nervous. You get a bit intimidated, but that soon goes after you have met a few times.
“Maybe it was different for me, too, as I hadn’t played in the Premier League for long. But now, playing for Liverpool, I know a lot of the lads and I feel much more comfortable.
“Perhaps there’s more responsibility as a Liverpool player, especially when you get younger lads stepping up in the position I was a few years ago.
“The big reason why I jumped at the opportunity to join Liverpool was because I knew they were in the Champions League. Playing at places like the Bernabeu. It’s incredible to be on the same pitch as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
“Just being at Liverpool, the expectation is there at a bigger club, so you are expected to play better more consistently.
“It is something I have to embrace, especially the Champions League, as that helps you grow as a player and with international football.
“We know England are the favourites to go through in our (European qualifying) group, but we know we can’t get complacent and have to respect every team we play. There are teams out there who cause upsets.”
While relishing life at the top of his chosen profession, Lallana admits 2014 has been something of a ‘whirlwind’ year – having been to the World Cup, joined Liverpool, faced Real Madrid and got married.
He added: “When you put it like that, it really has been an incredible year.
“It’s been a whirlwind. I haven’t taken a honeymoon yet. We had a week away in the summer, but it wasn’t classed as a honeymoon.
“This whole journey has been remarkable, when you think that five years ago I was with Southampton in the bottom three of League One. But you have to live in the present.”
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