FORMER Saints trio Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren are set to return to the south coast in December.

Last night’s Capital One Cup quarter final draw gave Liverpool a trip to in-form Championship high fliers AFC Bournemouth.

Lallana started his career at Dean Court before signing for Saints academy prior to becoming a teenager.

His move from Saints to Liverpool in the summer earned Cherries around £6m.

Lambert is still waiting to score his first Reds goal, while Lovren scored the late winner against Swansea on Tuesday that gave Brendan Rodgers’ side a last eight slot.

The tie will see Liverpool visit Bournemouth for the second time in as many seasons, as the Reds won 2-0 there in the FA Cup last term.

Cherries skipper Tommy Elphickis one of three lifelong Liverpool fans in the Cherries squad – with Steve Cook and Eunan O’Kane also fanatics of the Merseyside outfit since their childhoods.

Cherries reached the last eight for the first time in their history following Tuesday’s 2-1 win over West Brom, while Liverpool have won the competition on eight occasions.

Speaking to the Daily Echo’s sister paper The Bournemouth Echo, Elphick said: “As a Liverpool supporter, I certainly could not have wished for a better draw. It is great for the club, our supporters and the town.

“We are really looking forward to the game and it promises to be a great occasion. The ground was rocking against West Brom and it will be another full-house.

“The Liverpool squad is packed with world-class players and it will be a great test for us. A home draw was what we wanted and we have got our wish.

“There are only two rounds to the final. We are not talking about a cup which is taken lightly, this is a serious competition. We have gone a long way but want to keep progressing and moving forward.

“But we have a number of important games in the Championship, starting against Brighton on Saturday, and won’t let ourselves get distracted.”