James Milner recently admitted that he is unsure of his Liverpool future. He has less than a year left at Anfield but hasn’t been approached by the club over a fresh deal.
He remains one of the club’s most reliable players even at 33 years old when most other successful players of his age guide as a coach in the morning and gamble at the best live dealer casinos in the evening. Milner says he does have a desire to continue at the club. The player even spoke to the club a year ago asking them if they were interested in an extension, to which they replied they were not sure at the time. He says he hasn’t heard anything from them since.
Among these uncertain times, we wanted to take a look at his amazing career up until now and why he may just be ‘the most underrated English footballer’.
Stats and Trophies
Milner has been a part of six different clubs in his career: Leeds, Swindon Town (on loan from Leeds), Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Liverpool. He earned most of his titles during his time at Manchester City. His biggest trophies till date are Champions League, English Champion, English FA Cup, English League Cup, and the English Super Cup.
As of date, he has over 750 club and country appearances and has clocked in more than 51,000 minutes on the field. He has, to his name, a total of 82 goals and 125 assists during this time.
History
James began his professional career in 2002 by signing a contract with Leeds United. He made several appearances during his first season but was not a key player. After some back and forth between Leeds and Swindon Town, he caught Newcastle’s eye and got signed for a £3.6 million contract for five years.
He was then loaned to Aston Villa, where he made 27 appearances and netted a goal during the 2005/2006 season. After returning to his Newcastle United, he scored six goals in 94 matches over a span of three years.
Aston Villa then bought James for £12 million in 2008, where he became the backbone of the team by scoring 11 goals in 73 appearances. In 2010, Manchester City bought the player for £24 million, where Milner became even more popular thanks to his increasingly impressive performance.
Qualities
Milner is a highly versatile player; he has played in 10 different positions in his club career. Apart from the common midfield positions, he has also played left back, left wing, right wing, and even as a centre forward.
Milner has managed to silence football fans skeptical of his performance at this age. While it is common for a player’s fitness to deteriorate in his thirties, Milner has been smashing Liverpool’s pre-season tests for five years in a row now. He may have been the youngest Premier League player during his debut in 2002, but even today in his mid-thirties, he gives younger players a run for their money.
Finally, James Milner is known for his discipline. He is considered one of the most outstanding players because of his sturdy work ethic and unwavering focus in every match. He is willing to play any position and accepts almost every task assigned to him. His statistics speak for him, for in over 750 appearances, he has only received three red cards till date.