Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana says he regrets how he secured a transfer away from Southampton last season, as he prepares for his first return to St Mary's Stadium this weekend.
Lallana, who had been at Saints for the previous 12 years and helped their rise from League One into the Premier League, left under a cloud as he made it clear to the club that he immediately wanted to move to Anfield when made aware of their interest.
The 26-year-old took out a full page advert in a newspaper thanking Southampton fans after he secured his 25 million pound move, but the gesture was not well received by some on the south coast and he has conceded the manner of his exit could have been better handled.
"I'm not stupid enough to think the way I left didn't leave a sour taste in a few people's mouths," Lallana told the BBC. "The way I left I regret, I regret bits and pieces of how it happened and it got nasty. It was sad the way it happened.
"What is true is that when I knew of Liverpool's interest and that they had put a bid in I did say to the club it would be my wish if they could negotiate a fee for me to move on.
"Not for one second did I say I wouldn't play for the club again. I'm man enough to say it was my choice and my decision for me to move on.
"Deep down I hope Saints fans appreciate the times we had at the club together. Football is a fickle game -- if I do get the jeers and the boos I'm just going to take it as them missing me playing down there because I miss Southampton. I miss the fans and I miss the good times we had down there. Of course I do."
Former Saints players Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren will also make returns to St Mary's in Liverpool colours this Sunday, with Lallana in line to play against his former club for the first time after missing the first match between the two clubs on the opening day of the season due to injury.
"It's still not sunk in that I'm going to be playing against Southampton," he continued. "I think it was a blessing in disguise that I was injured for the first game [at Anfield].
"Even being in the crowd watching that day, I just felt really emotional so to have been out there would have been way too soon. The rawness of it all has got easier over the past six months, I am looking forward to the game.
"We want to go there and win the game and if we can win we'll be right on their tails. They're having such a magnificent season and credit to everyone at the club. The recruitment in the summer they've done really well and brought a great manager in. For us it's all about catching them now so we need to go down there and win."