James Milner

At 38 years old, James Milner has this physical status:

James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Liverpool.

A versatile player, he has been used in many different positions such as on the wing, in midfield and at full back.

Milner is Liverpool's vice-captain.Milner's talent in football, cricket, and long-distance running was recognised at a very young age.

He represented his school in these sports and played football for amateur teams from Rawdon and Horsforth.

He supported Leeds United from a young age and was a season ticket holder at the club.

In 1996, he joined the Leeds United youth academy.

He made his debut for the first team in 2002 aged only 16 and gained prominence as the youngest player to score in the Premier League. While at Leeds United, he spent time on loan at Swindon Town to gain experience as a first-team player.

Following his move to Newcastle United, he was loaned to Aston Villa for a season.

He went on to make over 100 appearances for Newcastle, before returning to Aston Villa on a permanent transfer in 2008.

After playing an influential role in Aston Villa's run to the 2010 League Cup Final and being named 2009–10 PFA Young Player of the Year, Milner joined Manchester City for a reported £26m transfer fee in 2010, going on to win the 2011–12 and 2013–14 Premier League titles, 2010–11 FA Cup and 2013–14 League Cup.

After five seasons with Manchester City, Milner signed for Liverpool on a free transfer in 2015, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League in 2019, after making an appearance as a substitute in the final against Tottenham. Milner made a record 46 appearances for the England national under-21 football team, playing at the 2007 and 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championships.

He also played 61 appearances for the full English national team, scoring once against Moldova.

He was selected for the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup squads, as well as the 2012 and 2016 UEFA European Championships.

Milner retired from international football in 2016.

Early life

Born in Wortley, Leeds, Milner played most of his childhood football for Westbrook Lane Primary School in Horsforth. He was later educated at Horsforth School. Graeme Coulson, a coach from Rawdon, recognised Milner's talent and persuaded him to play for Rawdon in several tournaments, including a tournament at Rawdon Meadows, where Milner scored four goals in their victory in the final.

Milner was described as a "first class" student at his school; he left with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education.

Milner played for the Yorkshire Schools cricket team, was the cross-country champion at his school for three consecutive years and was the district champion over 100 metres for two years in a row. He then completed his studies at Boston Spa School, a sports college which was a partner to the football club.

Milner supported his hometown club Leeds United from a young age. His earliest memory of the team was watching them win the FA Youth Cup in 1993. He and his parents, Peter and Lesley, were season ticket holders and Milner later became a ball boy for the club.

When Milner was 10 years old, he joined the Leeds United Academy after being spotted by a scout while playing for Westbrook Juniors in Horsforth. At the academy, Milner played against contemporaries from other clubs in Northern England, including future Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. His role model was Leeds-born Alan Smith, who was then a Leeds United striker. Milner believed playing with Smith put him through a learning curve, as Smith had done what Milner aspired to do in coming through the academy and playing for the first team. Having made good progress at the Academy, Milner was taken on as a trainee after leaving school. However, his father insisted that he attend college once a week to continue his education.

Milner continued to excel in the youth team, and played for England at under-15 and under-17 levels. He helped the England under-17 team win the 2002 Nationwide summer tournament against Italy, Czech Republic and Brazil, scoring a goal against Brazil.

Personal life

Milner is married to Amy Fletcher. The couple have two children: a daughter and a son. Milner learnt to speak Spanish in order to better communicate with his teammates, and speaks to his children only in Spanish to ensure they too learn the language.

Milner set up the James Milner Foundation, which holds a themed annual ball to raise money for various charitable causes. He is teetotal.

Milner was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to association football and charity.

Source

Club career

Milner's first-team debut for Leeds came on November 10th, 2002, against West Ham United, when he came as a replacement for Jason Wilcox for the final six minutes. At the age of 16 years and 309 days, his appearance made him the second-youngest player to play in the Premier League ever. With a goal against Sunderland on December 26, 2002, he became the youngest player to score in the Premier League at 16 years and 356 days. In 2005, Everton's James Vaughan broke his record. Milner scored twice more in a match against Chelsea two days later, with a deft first touch of the ball and manoeuvre in order to prevent Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly from being tackled. The manoeuvre had a yard of space for him to shoot a curling shot from 18 yards (16 meters). The reporters were impressed by his overall performance in the match, particularly by his enthusiasm, conviction, and his ability with both feet. Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri remarked after the match that Milner had played like a much more experienced player. Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, both from England, were compared to them as teenagers, who had also come to footballing fame as teenagers.

Milner made their first appearance for Leeds on February 10, 2003, and the pair's five-year deal was agreed. Milner was sent on a one-month loan to Swindon Town in order to gain knowledge as a first-team player at the start of the 2003–04 season. He saw it as a valuable experience as a player before the stint. He was with Swindon for a month, playing in six games and scoring two goals against Peterborough United and Luton Town.

However, Leeds' fortunes were on the decline; the team became the subject of numerous negative articles in the media, and several first-team players were sold. Milner said that this experience made him physically better and taught him how to cope with team challenges. Milner's future at Leeds led to rumors regarding the club's fate. Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Everton all expressed an interest in signing him. In the end, Villa and Everton did not make bids, and Milner turned down a Spurt bid because they were based too far from their family's house, where they still resided. Leeds insisted that he would not be sold with chairman Gerald Krasner referring to him as "the future of Leeds." Despite this, Leeds was forced to sell Milner to Newcastle United for £5 million due to financial difficulties. Milner was dissatisfied with his club's best interest as a child, so he wanted to do what was "in the club's best interest" and decided on a five-year deal with Newcastle in July 2004.

Milner made his first appearance for Newcastle United during their pre-season tour of Asia, scoring his first goal for the club against Kitchee in Hong Kong. During this tour, he had the opportunity to see how Newcastle striker Alan Shearer dealt with fans and media, and said that his work with people like Shearer gave him a greater sense of how to cope with the media.

Despite being on the left of the field for Newcastle in 2004, Milner's first Premier League match against Middlesbrough was played on the right of the field as a winger. Milner said he had no idea where he played when asked after the match. After starting as a backup for Shola Ameobi, he made his European debut as Newcastle played against Bnei Sakhnin from Israel. In a 3–1 victory over West Bromwich Albion, he scored his first competitive goal for the club, as well as as a replacement.

Milner's situation changed after Newcastle boss Bobby Robson, whom Milner regarded as his mentor, was fired and replaced by Graeme Souness. He appeared in 13 league games under Souness, but did not appear in his first full Premier League match for Newcastle until April 2005. Milner expressed disappointment at not being able to use as a starter for the majority of the season.

Milner scored in Newcastle's 3–1 away victory over FK ZTS Dubnica in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, as well as setting up Alan Shearer for the team's third goal.

Milner was loaned to Villa for the remainder of the season due to a clause in Newcastle's purchase of Nolberto Solano from Aston Villa. David O'Leary, the Leeds manager, was able to sign Milner as a player, saying that Villa had the better of the contract and that he wanted to develop him as a player. In a Premier League match against West Ham United, he made his Villa debut on September 12, 2005. In a 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, five days later, he scored his first goal for the club. He helped his team bounce back from being 3–1 down at halftime to beating 8-3 against Wycombe Wanderers, scoring two goals in the second half. Milner was optimistic about his team throughout the season. He remained optimistic that Villa would recover from a slow start to the season and praised the team's quality.

Milner's recruitment was generally seen as a positive sign in a season that was disappointing for Villa. Milner himself supported the loan conversion positively, predicting that he'll return to Villa permanently due to the likelihood of being a regular starter, but that the likelihood of this happening was beyond his control. Milner's manager, David O'Leary, revealed during the season that he would like him to join the club permanently, but doubted he would be allowed to sign him. He even dropped out of signing Robert Huth in order to ensure he would have the funds to sign Milner permanently if the opportunity arises.

Glenn Roeder, Newcastle's new manager, seemed to value Milner's capabilities more than Souness, and expressed the desire that he remain a Newcastle manager. This, as well as the departure of O'Leary and the absence of transfer funds at Villa, made a deal to sign Milner permanently unlikely. When Villa turned down a bid for Milner as part of a trade for Gareth Barry in June, it became even less likely. However, the agreement was revived when Villa was purchased by American billionaire Randy Lerner, and Martin O'Neill was appointed as the new boss. A transfer to Villa seemed to have been agreed, but at the time, Newcastle recall Milner and the talks fell apart.

Newcastle's players and boss Glenn Roeder reacted empathetically to Milner's return to the 2006-07 season. Milner was a starter in Newcastle's entire season.

Newcastle's 2007-07 Premier League got off to a rocky start, but Milner was instrumental in assisting Newcastle in the UEFA Cup's round of 16, playing just one of the Magpies 12 games. However, rumors that he would be sold in January during the transfer window have sprung, although Milner and Roeder denied this speculation.

Milner scored his first goal of the season on January 1 in a 2–2 draw with Manchester United. From 25 yards (23 meters) away, the goal was scored on a "stunning" shot. During the next three weeks, he scored two more goals against Birmingham City and then against West Ham United. Milner demonstrated his ability to play in a variety of positions throughout the season by scoring and setting up goals for both feet from both sides of the game. Milner in January signed a new deal at Newcastle, securing his future at the club until 2011. When Sam Allardyce took over as Newcastle's boss in May 2007, he resigned for another four-year deal. Milner said later this year that he was excited about his future with the club and its new manager, adding that the training sessions were "the best since I've been here." Milner was so keen to play that he'd be worried about his [and] physical] physical destruction." Milner played mainly as a replacement in the early portion of the season.

In a 3–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in late October, he scored Newcastle's 500th home Premier League goal. From a shot intended as a cross, we scored our second Premier League goal of the season. Milner was praised by Allardyce during the season, saying he was "a tremendously experienced Premier League player."

Milner was expected to be part of a trade between Newcastle and Liverpool after missing the final nine games of the season due to a foot injury in May 2008. Despite starting the season well and scoring in a League Cup victory over Coventry City, Milner revealed after the match that Milner had turned in a written transfer request the week before.

Milner signed for Aston Villa for £12 million on August 29, 2008, and the club has been on a four-year deal. Milner made his Villa debut against Liverpool on August 31st as a second-half replacement against Liverpool. In his second stint at Villa, he scored both goals in a third round FA Cup tie against Gillingham on January 4, 2009, where he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory for Villa.

Milner's first Premier League goal in his second spell with Villa came on January 17th, a 2–1 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Milner was admitted to the England senior squad squad for the first time on February 7, 2009, after a run at club level that had impressed England boss Fabio Capello. Milner continued to impress against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, scoring his second league goal of the season. Villa defeated Everton by a 25-yard free kick on Sunday, bringing Villa's home from a 3–1 deficit to a 3–3 draw. Despite being only 23 years old, he said that his time in Villa was the most "unstructured" period in his career so far, having worked with thirteen bosses and caretakers.

Milner moved into the center of midfield after the transfer of captain Gareth Barry to Manchester City at the start of the 2009-10 season. With a penalty, he scored the first goal in the 2010 League Cup Final on February 28, 2010. Villa was eventually defeated 2–1 by Manchester United. Milner finished the year with 12 goals and was named Aston Villa's Fan of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year.

Manchester City made a £20 million bid for Milner on May 19, which was turned down. Milner had expressed the desire to leave Villa for City, but only at Villa's price, according to Villa boss Martin O'Neill, but only at Villa's valuation. Milner played in Villa's first match of the season against West Ham United on August 14th, despite being on the brink of moving to Manchester City. Milner scored Villa's third goal. When Milner was recalled near the end of the game, he was given a standing ovation.

Aston Villa had reached an understanding with Manchester City to sell Milner subject to a medical in August 2010. According to reports, the contract was worth around £26 million, including a player swap of Stephen Ireland. Milner made his City debut against Liverpool on August 23, 2010 when he set up the first goal for former Villa teammate Gareth Barry. Milner scored his first competitive goal for Manchester City in an FA Cup third-round match against Leicester City that resulted in a 2–2 draw. The Leicester match kicked off a cup run that saw Manchester City advance to the 2011 FA Cup Final. Manchester City defeated Stoke City 1–0 to win the FA Cup, with Milner being an ineffective substitute.

Milner scored his first Premier League goal for Manchester City against Everton on September 24, 2011. He scored his second time against Aston Villa in a 4–1 victory two weeks later. Manchester City defeated Old Trafford 6–1, defeating Manchester United's biggest home league loss since 1930. Milner had a hand in two goals. Milner made 26 Premier League appearances as Manchester City took the league crown for the first time in 44 years over the course of the 2011–12 season.

Milner defeated Chelsea at Villa Park in August 2012, his first Community Shield. Milner scored his first goal of the 2012-13 season on October 6, 2012, following a free kick to a 3–0 victory over Sunderland. In a 2–1 victory over West Bromwich Albion on October 20, he earned his first Premier League red card. He scored City's first goal in the League since 2007, and it was the first victory at Arsenal since 1975. Manchester City defeated Manchester United 2–1 at Old Trafford on 8 April, he scored in the Manchester derby.

Milner scored the winning goal in a 3–2 victory over Bayern Munich, the reigning European champions, in the UEFA Champions League, making him the first English player to play for Manchester City in the competition this season. Milner will win their first League Cup champions medal and second Premier League crown this season.

Milner's last game for City came in May 2015, a 2–0 victory over Southampton.

Milner decided to join Liverpool on a free transfer from Manchester City on June 4, 2015. Milner was named as the vice-captain on August 7, 2015, on August 7th. Milner lost 1–0 over Stoke City in his team's first competitive match at the Britannia Stadium in 1–0 victory. Milner captained Liverpool for the first time on his third appearance for the club, a 0–0 draw at Arsenal. In a 3–2 victory over Liverpool's former club Aston Villa at Anfield on September 26, he scored his first goal for the club. At the end of his first season with the club, he appeared in the 2016 UEFA Europa League Final. Milner played seven goals and had 15 assists in all competitions during his rookie season with Liverpool.

Milner scored in Liverpool's 1–1 draw against former club Manchester City on March 19, 2017. In doing so, he set a Premier League record for the most games scored in without losing (47 matches). Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal against Man City in the quarter-finals first leg tied for the Champions league assist record (8 assists) on April 4, 2018. Milner set a new record on April 24, becoming the first player in Champions League history to produce 9 assists in a single season, while Roberto Firmino's second goal was scored during the 5–2 semi-finals against Roma.

Milner scored his 50th Premier League goal at Arsenal in November 2018 during a 1–1 draw. Milner was the 13th player (and the second youngest since fellow Aston Villa, Man City, and England teammate Gareth Barry) to reach 500 appearances in Premier League history during a 4–0 win over Bournemouth last month.

Milner claimed his first Champions League title on June 1st as a replacement in the final against Tottenham Hotspur. Milner earned his first UEFA Super Cup, beginning with a match against Chelsea, as the Champions League champions defeated the Europa League winners on penalties in Istanbul on August 14th.

Milner signed a new deal in December 2019 that will keep him at the club until 2022, although Liverpool did not specify what the contract length. Milner was back as a replacement as Liverpool defeated Flamengo 1–0 in the final later this month, beating Flamengo 1–0 in the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in the club's history.

Milner won his third Premier League title and first for Liverpool on June 25th.

Milner did not appear in any leagues for the 2020-21 season, making just 11 starts and 26 appearances. As a result, he had his first goalless season in his career. On the last day of the season, he remained a key figure as Liverpool overcame multiple challenges to finish third in qualifying for the following season's Champions League.

Milner appeared in a 2-0 UEFA Champions League victory over Inter Milan on February 16, 2022, his 800th senior appearance at club level.

Milner's first penalty of the shootout was scored by Liverpool on February 27th in the 2022 EFL Cup Final victory over Chelsea. Milner's first penalty of the shootout came on May 14th in the 2022 FA Cup Final victory over Chelsea.

Milner signed a one-year contract with the club on June 6, 2022.

International career

Milner was promoted to the under-20 level and called up for the 2003 World Youth Championship after being featured England at the under-15 and under-17 levels, but he was recalled by Leeds United 4 days before the game. Peter Taylor, the England under-21 manager, called him up to the England under-21 team shortly after, and Milner made his debut against Sweden on March 30th.

Milner scored for the England under-21 team during the 2004-05 season in a qualifier match against Wales in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Darren Bent had a scoring opportunity during the game, but the Young Lions defeated 2–0, setting up a scoring opportunity for him. Despite domestic team problems, he continued to make progress on international stage, scoring the winning goal for the England under-21 team in a 3–2 win over Switzerland. Because of their success, England has secured a spot in the 2007 European Under-21 Championship qualifiers' playoff stage.

Milner won the 2007 European Under-21 Championship for England in June. He appeared in all four of England's tournaments and was drafted in the semi-finals against the Netherlands, which would have ruled out his participation in the final. Milner scored twice and England lost 13-13-12 in a penalty shoot-out, deciding the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out. Milner was called to the under-21 squad for a friendly against Romania, which resulted in a 1–1 draw. Milner made his 30th appearance for the team in a 3–0 victory over Montenegro a month later. Players from many England Under-21 appearances haven't progressed to become regulars in the senior team, which has caused some to question whether Milner would be able to make the switch. In a 3–0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in October, he scored his third goal for the under-21 team. He scored again in the return match four months later, when England defeated 3–0.

Milner continued to play and was the only participant, alongside Joe Hart and captain Steven Taylor, to have competed in all of the qualifiers for the 2009 European Under-21 Championships. He was in the final 23-man U21 squad for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Sweden in the summer of 2009. After the game, he helped set up the winning goal for Micah Richards against Finland, and Stuart Pearce said, "The modern-day full-back can get up and down the pitch, and I knew [Milner] would be up and down" was appropriate." Milner's second match against Spain had a penalty saved by Sergio Asenjo, who also scored England's second goal in a 2–0 victory. In the semi-finals, England faced Sweden. It came to a penalty shoot-out after the match ended in a 3–3 draw. Milner was the only England player to miss the shoot-out after he slipped right before throwing the ball, causing it to go over the crossbar. England defeated the shoot-out 5–4 for the first time in 25 years, progressing to the final. England lost the final to Germany 4–0, and Milner said after the match that the team was "hurting" and that the team was "not strong enough." The final was his last match for the under-21 team. His 46 appearances at under the age of 21 are a national record.

Milner made his England senior debut in August 2009 when he came on as a replacement in a friendly match against the Netherlands for the final 23 minutes. The match ended in a 2–2 draw. He appeared in another friendly against Slovenia the following month, making his international debut against Croatia in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier, where he played the final nine minutes. England defeated the former match 5-1 to gain qualifying points for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was selected in the starting eleven for England's first match against the United States and was placed after 30 minutes. With a cross for Jermain Defoe, England scored the only goal of the match in the match against Slovenia. In a 2–1 loss against France on November 17, 2010, he captained England for the first time in the final ten minutes of the match.

Milner appeared in six games during qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012, and was selected in Roy Hodgson's 23-man squad for the tournament. Milner's first match in charge, a 1–0 friendly win over Norway, started Hodgson's first match in charge. As the Three Lions finished ranked in group D and qualified for the quarter finals, he started all of England's group stage games. He started but was kicked off after an hour as England was defeated by Italy in a penalty shootout.

Milner scored his first and only international goal in a 5–0 victory over Moldova in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Milner was selected in Hodgson's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Milner, on the other hand, struggled to get a regular starting position, so he acted as a replacement in the final group game against Costa Rica after England had already been disqualified, with the game ending in a 0–0 draw.

Milner was a member of the England squad for EURO 2016, but he was unable to get regular playing time. Milner played just five minutes on the team stage, appearing as a late replacement against Russia and did not participate in England's loss to Iceland in the round of 16.

Following discussions with new England boss Sam Allardyce, Milner resigned from international service on August 5, 2016.

Milner's availability was inquired by England manager Gareth Southgate at the 2018 World Cup, but Milner politely declined to return to international action.

Source