THEY dedicate their lives to representing their country - and he hopes to be doing the same this summer.

Saints star Adam Lallana took time out from training to visit one of the UK's most powerful warships to learn about the Royal Navy's role across the globe.

The Southampton winger - who is hoping to win a place in England's World Cup squad this summer - toured the Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring and chatted to many of her 200-strong crew.

Just hours after picking up the gong for Saints Player of the Year, the 25-year-old learnt about the ship's recent nine-month global deployment which included humanitarian relief efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan and anti-piracy operations in the Caribbean.

The Saints captain said: “This was my first time on board a warship and I was very impressed. I was told about the weapons having their own brains and how they can work out which targets are best to attack at a certain time.

“It was also good to meet the sailors on board and learn about their lifestyle. It seems tough when they are away at sea but there was great camaraderie on board and I have a lot of respect for what they do.”