James Milner (merchant)
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James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a midfielder for club Brighton & Hove Albion. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full back. Milner's talent in football, cricket, and long-distance running was recognised early. He represented
Horsforth School Horsforth School is a science specialist secondary school with academy status in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Opened in 1972 and located in Horsforth, it educates around 1,500 boys and girls, aged 11 to 18. It gained Special Science status ...
in these sports and played football for amateur teams from Rawdon and Horsforth. He supported Leeds United from childhood, joining the Leeds Youth Academy in 1996. He made his debut for the
first team First team may refer to: Sports * First team (association football), the colloquial name given to the most senior team fielded by a football club * The First Team, the first players known to have played the sport of basketball * First Team All-A ...
in 2002 aged 16 and gained prominence as the youngest player to score in the Premier League, and later spent time on loan at Swindon Town to gain further first-team experience. After Leeds United were relegated at the end of the 2003–04 season, Milner was sold to
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
. Milner went on to make over 100 appearances for Newcastle United, winning the
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, 'betting pool'),Most precisely, from (football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International Foot ...
in 2006, and spent a year on loan at
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
, before signing for Aston Villa permanently in 2008. After winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2010, Milner was signed by
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
, and went on to win two Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, one League Cup and one
FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...
. Milner signed for Liverpool in 2015 on a free transfer, and was appointed
vice-captain Vice-captain, alternate captain (ice hockey) or vice-skip (curling) may refer to a role in a number of sports immediately below the role of captain. The vice-captain may have a number of different roles, including substituting as captain when the re ...
. He went on to win the UEFA Champions League in
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, as well as his third Premier League title, the UEFA Super Cup, the
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
, and another FA Cup and EFL Cup title. Milner made a record 46 appearances for the England national under-21 football team, playing at the
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and
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UEFA European Under-21 Championships, finishing as runner-up in the latter. He won 61 caps for the full national team, scoring once against Moldova. He was selected for the
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and
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FIFA World Cup squads, as well as the
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and
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UEFA European Championships.


Early life

James Philip Milner was born on 4 January 1986 in
Wortley, Leeds Wortley ( ) is an inner city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It begins one mile to the west of the city centre. The appropriate City of Leeds ward is called Farnley and Wortley. It was known as ''Wirkelay'' until about 1700. Wortley ...
. Milner played most of his childhood football for
Westbrook Lane Primary School Horsforth is a town and civil parish within the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, lying about five miles north-west of Leeds city centre. Historically a village within the West Riding of Yorkshire, it had a population of 18,895 at the ...
in Horsforth, where one of his PE teachers and coaches was future Premier League referee
Jon Moss Jonathan Aubrey Moss (born 11 September 1957) is an English drummer, best known as a member of the 1980s new wave group Culture Club. He has also played with other bands, including London, the Nips, the Damned and Adam and the Ants. Early li ...
, who would give him a red card two decades later. Milner was later educated at
Horsforth School Horsforth School is a science specialist secondary school with academy status in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Opened in 1972 and located in Horsforth, it educates around 1,500 boys and girls, aged 11 to 18. It gained Special Science status ...
. 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. He 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 Boston Spa Academy (formerly Boston Spa Comprehensive School) is a coeducational secondary school for pupils aged 11–19 years old on Clifford Moor Road in Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, England. It is larger than other secondary schools in ...
, 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 The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It ...
in 1993. He and his parents, Peter and Lesley, were
season ticket A season ticket, or season pass, is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time. History The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' has illustrative quotations which show the term ''season ticket'' used in the United States in 1820 ...
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 Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...
while playing for Westbrook Juniors in Horsforth. At the academy, Milner played against contemporaries from other clubs in Northern England, including future
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
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 First team may refer to: Sports * First team (association football), the colloquial name given to the most senior team fielded by a football club * The First Team, the first players known to have played the sport of basketball * First Team All-A ...
. 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.


Club career


Leeds United

Milner's first-team debut for Leeds came on 10 November 2002, in a match against West Ham United, when he came on as a substitute for Jason Wilcox for the last six minutes. The appearance made him the second-youngest player ever to play in the Premier League, at the age of 16 years and 309 days. On 26 December 2002, at 16 years and 356 days, he became the youngest player to score in the Premier League, with a goal in a 2–1 win against
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
. His record was broken by James Vaughan of Everton in 2005. In a match against Chelsea two days later, Milner scored again, with a deft first touch of the ball and manoeuvre, to avoid a tackle from Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly. The manoeuvre created a yard of space for him to deliver a curling shot from . Reporters were impressed by his overall performance in the match, especially by his desire, confidence, and ability with both feet. Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri remarked after the match that Milner had performed like a much more experienced player. The performance prompted comparisons to England internationals Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, who had also come to footballing prominence as teenagers. After more appearances for Leeds, Milner signed a five-year contract with them on 10 February 2003. At the start of the 2003–04 season, Milner was sent on a one-month loan to Second Division club Swindon Town to gain experience as a first-team player. Before the stint, he saw it as a valuable experience as a player. He spent a month with Swindon, playing in six matches 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 stories in the media, and several first-team players were sold. Milner said he believed that this experience made him emotionally stronger and taught him how to deal with team problems. Leeds' eventual relegation to the Championship led to speculation over Milner's future at the club. Tottenham Hotspur,
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
and Everton all expressed an interest in signing him. Ultimately, Villa and Everton did not make offers and Milner rejected an offer from Tottenham as they were based too far from his family home, where he still lived. Leeds insisted that he would not be sold with chairman Gerald Krasner referring to him as "the future of Leeds". Nonetheless, financial problems eventually forced Leeds to sell Milner to
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
for £5 million. Although Milner was not happy to be leaving the club he had supported as a child, he wished to do what was "in the club's best interest" and in July 2004, he agreed a five-year contract with Newcastle.


Newcastle United


Early career

Milner made his first appearance for Newcastle United during their pre-season tour of Asia, scoring his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw against Kitchee, in Hong Kong. During this tour, he took the opportunity to observe how Newcastle striker
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
dealt with attention from fans and the media and said that his association with people like Shearer gave him a better idea of how to deal with the media. Milner's first Premier League match for Newcastle came against Middlesbrough on 18 August 2004, in which he played on the right of the field as a winger, despite having featured regularly on the left for Leeds. When asked about this after the match, Milner said he had no preference where on the pitch he played. A month later he made his debut in European competition, when Newcastle played in the UEFA Cup against Bnei Sakhnin from Israel, after coming on as a substitute for Shola Ameobi. In the same month, he scored his first competitive goal for the club, also as a substitute, in a 3–1 win against West Bromwich Albion. The situation changed for Milner after Newcastle manager Bobby Robson, whom Milner considered his mentor, was sacked and replaced by
Graeme Souness Graeme James Souness (; born 6 May 1953) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager, and current TV pundit. A midfielder, Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s, player-manager of Ranger ...
. Under Souness, he started 13 league matches, but did not play his first full Premier League match for Newcastle until April 2005. Milner said that he was frustrated at not being used as a starter for most of the season. At the start of the 2005–06 season, Milner scored in Newcastle's 3–1 away win against
FK ZTS Dubnica FK Dubnica is a Slovak football club, playing in the city of Dubnica nad Váhom. History FK Dubnica was founded in 1926 and spent much of its early years playing in the regional Czechoslovakian leagues until 1977 where they were finally pro ...
in the
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, 'betting pool'),Most precisely, from (football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International Foot ...
, and also set up Alan Shearer for the team's third goal.


Loan to Aston Villa

A clause in Newcastle's purchase of
Nolberto Solano Nolberto Albino "Ñol" Solano Todco (born 12 December 1974), commonly known as Nobby Solano, is a retired Peruvian professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the assistant manager of the Peru national football team, as w ...
from Aston Villa resulted in Milner being loaned to Villa for the rest of the season. Villa manager David O'Leary, who had managed Milner at Leeds, was happy to acquire Milner in this deal, saying that he believed Villa got the better of the deal and that he hoped to improve him as a player. He made his Villa debut on 12 September 2005 in a Premier League match against West Ham United. Five days later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur. In a League Cup match less than a week later, he helped his team recover from being 3–1 down at half-time to win 8–3 against Wycombe Wanderers, scoring two goals in the second half comeback. Throughout the season, Milner was positive about his team. He remained confident that Villa would recover from a poor start to the season and praised the quality of the squad. Milner was generally seen as a positive signing in a season that was disappointing for Villa. Milner himself also received the loan move positively, saying that he would like to join Villa permanently because of the probability of becoming a regular starter, but said that the possibility of this happening was beyond his control. Manager David O'Leary confirmed during the season that he would like Milner to join the club permanently, but doubted he would be given the opportunity to sign him. He even pulled out of signing
Robert Huth Robert Huth (, ; born 18 August 1984) is a German former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is a three-time Premier League winner and has made the most Premier League appearances (322) by a German player. Huth was signed f ...
so that he would have the funds to sign Milner permanently if the opportunity arose. The newly appointed Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder appeared to appreciate Milner's ability more than Souness and expressed a desire that he remain a Newcastle player. This, as well as the departure of O'Leary and the shortage of transfer funds at Villa, meant that a deal to sign Milner permanently seemed unlikely. In June, it became even less likely when Villa rejected an offer of Milner as part of a trade for Gareth Barry. However, the deal was resurrected when Villa were taken over by American billionaire Randy Lerner, and
Martin O'Neill Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, (born 1 March 1952) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Starting his career in Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playi ...
was appointed as new manager. A move to Villa appeared to have been agreed, but at the last moment Newcastle recalled Milner and the talks broke down.


Return to Newcastle United

Newcastle's players and manager Glenn Roeder reacted positively to Milner's return at the start of the 2006–07 season. Milner was a starter in the Newcastle team for the entire season. Newcastle made a poor start in the 2006–07 Premier League, but in European competition, Milner played a key role in helping Newcastle reach the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup, playing all but one of the Magpies 12 games. Rumours began to spread that he would be sold during the transfer window in January, although both Milner and Roeder dismissed these rumours. On 1 January 2007, Milner scored his first goal of the season in a 2–2 draw with Manchester United. The goal came from a "stunning" shot from away. He scored two more goals during the next three weeks, against Birmingham City and then against West Ham United. During the season, Milner displayed his ability to play comfortably in a range of different positions by scoring and setting up goals with both feet from both sides. As a result, Milner signed a new contract at Newcastle in January, which secured his future at the club until 2011. He signed another four-year contract in May 2007, when Sam Allardyce took over as manager of Newcastle. Milner said later in the year that he was happy about his future at the club and its new manager, saying that the training sessions were "the best since I have been here". Allardyce said during the season that Milner was so keen to play, that he was concerned he would "burn out mentally ndphysically". As a result, Milner played mainly as a substitute in the early part of the season. In late October, he scored Newcastle's 500th home Premier League goal in a 3–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur. A second Premier League goal of the season came fortuitously in the Tyne–Wear derby from a shot intended as a cross. Allardyce praised Milner during the season, saying he was "a hugely experienced Premier League player". After missing the final nine matches of the season due to a foot injury, it was rumoured in May 2008 that Milner would be part of a transfer between Newcastle and Liverpool. Despite starting the season for Newcastle and scoring in a League Cup win over
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
, it was revealed after the match that Milner had handed in a written
transfer request The transfer market is the arena in which football players are available for transfer to clubs. The transfer market consists of a list of players available for transfer, and also the money moving between clubs as they contest to purchase and sell ...
the week before.


Return to Aston Villa

Milner signed for Aston Villa on 29 August 2008 for a fee of £12 million, and signed a four-year contract with the club. Milner made his debut for Villa on 31 August 2008 as a second-half substitute against Liverpool. His first goals in his second spell at Villa came in a third round FA Cup tie against Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium on 4 January 2009 on his 23rd birthday, where he scored both goals in a 2–1 win for Villa. Milner's first Premier League goal in his second spell at Villa came on 17 January 2009 in a 2–1 win against Sunderland at the
Stadium of Light The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England, and the eighth and current home to Sunderland A.F.C. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light is the ninth largest football stadium in England. ...
. On 7 February 2009, Milner was named to the England senior team squad for the first time, after a run at club level that had impressed England manager
Fabio Capello Fabio Capello (; born 18 June 1946) is an Italian former professional football manager and player. As a player, Capello represented SPAL 1907, Roma, Milan and Juventus. He played as a midfielder and won several trophies during his career which ...
. Milner continued to impress and, on 7 February, scored his second league goal of the season against Blackburn Rovers. This was followed by a 25-yard free kick at home against Everton as Villa came back from a 3–1 deficit to draw 3–3 on 12 April. He stated that his time at Villa is the "most settled" period of his career so far, having played for thirteen managers and caretakers despite being only 23. At the start of the 2009–10 season, Milner moved into the centre of midfield after the sale of
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Gareth Barry to
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
. His goal in a win against
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
in December 2009 was later voted as Aston Villa's Goal of the Season. On 28 February 2010, he scored the opening goal in the 2010 League Cup final with a penalty. Villa were eventually beaten 2–1 by Manchester United. Milner ended the season with 12 goals and was named Aston Villa's Supporters' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year. On 19 May 2010, Manchester City made a £20 million offer for Milner which was rejected. On 22 July 2010, Villa manager Martin O'Neill said that Milner had shown a desire to leave Villa for City, but would only be sold at Villa's valuation. On 14 August, despite being on the verge of a move to Manchester City, Milner played in Villa's first match of the season against West Ham United, scoring Villa's third goal. Milner was given a standing ovation when he was substituted near the end of the match.


Manchester City

On 17 August 2010, it was reported that Aston Villa had agreed a deal with Manchester City to sell Milner subject to a medical. The deal was reported to be worth around £26 million, including a player exchange of
Stephen Ireland Stephen James Ireland (born 22 August 1986) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Ireland began his career with Cobh Ramblers before joining English club Manchester City in 2001. He made his profess ...
. Milner made his debut for City on 23 August 2010 in a 3–0 home win against Liverpool, where 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 at Leicester City which ended in a 2–2 draw. The Leicester match was the start of a cup run that saw Manchester City reach the
2011 FA Cup final The 2011 FA Cup Final was the 130th FA Cup Final, final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic Association football, football cup competition. The final took place on 14 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London in front of 88,643 spectators an ...
. Milner was an unused substitute as Manchester City beat
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
1–0 to win the FA Cup. Milner scored his first Premier League goal for Manchester City against Everton on 24 September 2011. Two matches later, he scored his second, against former club Aston Villa in a 4–1 win. The following week, Milner had a hand in two goals as Manchester City won the Manchester derby at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
6–1, inflicting Manchester United's heaviest home league defeat since 1930. Over the course of the 2011–12 season, Milner made 26 Premier League appearances as Manchester City won the league title for the first time in 44 years. Milner won his first Community Shield in August 2012, as City beat Chelsea at Villa Park. On 6 October 2012, Milner scored his first goal of the 2012–13 season from a free kick to seal a 3–0 win against Sunderland. On 20 October, he received his first Premier League
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in a 2–1 win at West Bromwich Albion. On 13 January 2013, he scored City's opening goal in a 2–0 away win at
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, which was the first time a City player had scored away at Arsenal in the League since 2007 and City's first win in the league at Arsenal since 1975. On 8 April, he scored in the Manchester derby as City beat Manchester United 2–1 at Old Trafford. On 10 December 2013, Milner scored the winning goal in a 3–2 win against the reigning European champions
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
at the Allianz Arena in the UEFA Champions League, becoming the first English player to score for Manchester City in the competition that season. That season would see Milner win a first League Cup winner's medal and a second Premier League title.


Liverpool


2015–2019: First seasons and Champions League title

On 4 June 2015, Milner agreed to join Liverpool on a free transfer from Manchester City. On 7 August 2015, Milner was announced as the vice-captain. Milner played his first competitive match for the club in 1–0 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. Milner captained Liverpool for the first time on his third appearance for the club, a 0–0 draw at Arsenal. On 26 September 2015, he scored his debut goal for Liverpool in a 3–2 win against his former club Aston Villa at Anfield. He appeared in the
2016 UEFA Europa League final The 2016 UEFA Europa League Final was a football match between Liverpool of England and Sevilla of Spain on 18 May 2016 at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League, the 45th s ...
at the end of his first season with the club. Milner ended his first season with Liverpool scoring seven goals and recording 15 assists in all competitions. On 19 March 2017, Milner scored in Liverpool's 1–1 draw against former club Manchester City. In doing so, he broke a Premier League record by a player for the most matches scored in without losing (47 matches). In 2017–18 season, Milner assisted 9 goals in a single Champions League campaign, setting a new record previously held by Wayne Rooney in 2013-2014 and Neymar in 2016-2017. In November 2018, Milner scored his 50th Premier League goal during a 1–1 draw at Arsenal. The following month, Milner became just the 13th player (and the 2nd youngest after former Aston Villa, Man City and England teammate Gareth Barry) in Premier League history to reach 500 appearances, during a 4–0 win at Bournemouth. On 1 June 2019, Milner won his first Champions League title, coming on as a substitute in the final against Tottenham, as Liverpool won 2–0 in the final.


2019–2023: Premier League title and domestic success

On 14 August 2019, Milner won his first UEFA Super Cup, starting the 2019 match against Chelsea, as Liverpool won after a penalty shoot-out in Istanbul. In December 2019, Milner signed a new contract reportedly keeping him at the club until 2022, although Liverpool did not specify the contract length. Later that month, Milner came on as a substitute as Liverpool won the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in the club's history, beating
Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football t ...
1–0 in the final. On 26 December 2019, Milner scored a penalty in a 4–0 Premier League victory over Leicester City at The King Power Stadium; it would be the last goal Milner ever scored for Liverpool. On 25 June 2020, Milner won his third Premier League title and his first for Liverpool. Milner was not a regular starter during the 2020–21 season, amassing just 11 starts and making 26 appearances in all competitions. As a result, he registered the first goalless season of his career. He still remained an important player as Liverpool overcame multiple difficulties to finish third, qualifying for the following season's Champions League on the final day of the season. On 16 February 2022, Milner came on as a substitute in a 2–0 Champions League win against Inter Milan to make his 800th senior appearance at club level. On 27 February 2022, Milner scored Liverpool's first penalty of the shoot-out in the
2022 EFL Cup final The 2022 EFL Cup Final was the final of the 2021–22 EFL Cup. It was played between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 27 February 2022. The match saw no goals in the initial 90 minutes or the additional 30 minutes o ...
victory over Chelsea. On 14 May 2022, Milner once again scored Liverpool's first penalty of the shoot-out in the
2022 FA Cup final The 2022 FA Cup Final was an association football match played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 14 May 2022. Chelsea and Liverpool were the finalists, the same as in the 2022 EFL Cup Final earlier in the season. This was the first time ...
victory over Chelsea. On 6 June 2022, Milner signed a one-year extension with the club. On 5 October 2022, Milner made his 300th appearance for Liverpool in a 2–0 victory against
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in the 2022–23 Champions League. On 12 November, Milner came on as a substitute against Southampton to make his 600th Premier League appearance. On 4 April 2023, in a 0–0 draw against Chelsea, Milner marked his 610th Premier League appearance, which moved him up to third place in all-time Premier League's appearance charts. In May 2023, Liverpool announced that Milner would leave the club at the end of the 2022–23 season upon the expiry of his contract.


Brighton & Hove Albion

On 14 June 2023, Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion announced that Milner would join the club upon the expiry of his Liverpool contract at the end of the month. He agreed a one-year contract with the option to extend for another year. He made his Brighton debut on 12 August, in the ''Seagulls'' opening game of the season, starting and playing 79 minutes of the match in the 4–1 home win over Premier League newcomers Luton Town. On 16 September, he played in a 3–1 away win over Manchester United, to become the first player to win at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
with four different clubs, in addition to achieving a record of 11 victories in total including 6 away wins against the same opponent. On 22 January 2024, Milner played his 633rd Premier League match in a home goalless draw against Wolverhampton, moving ahead of
Ryan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; 29 November 1973) is a Welsh association football, football coach and former player. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Giggs played his List of one-club men in association football, entir ...
to be second in all-time appearances, only behind Gareth Barry with 653. On 15 May 2024, Milner signed a new one-year deal with Brighton.


International career


Youth

After representing England at the under-15 and under-17 levels, Milner was promoted to the under-20 level and called up for the 2003 World Youth Championship, but was recalled by Leeds United four days before the opening game. Soon after this, under-21 manager Peter Taylor called him up to the England under-21 team and Milner made his debut against
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
on 30 March 2004. Milner scored for the England under-21 team during the 2004–05 season in a qualification match for the
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It was the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Championship. Summary For the first time, a host nation was chosen ahead of the competition – the Nethe ...
, against Wales. During the match, in which he played in the centre of midfield, he set up a scoring chance for Darren Bent as the Young Lions won 2–0. Despite domestic club troubles, he continued to make progress at international level, scoring the winning goal for the England under-21 team in a 3–2 win over
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. The win secured England a place in the playoff stage of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers. In June, Milner competed for England at the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He played in all four of England's matches and was booked in the semi-final against the Netherlands, which meant he would have missed the final. The match was decided by a penalty shoot-out, in which Milner scored twice and England lost 13–12. Milner was included in the under-21 squad for a friendly against Romania, which ended in a 1–1 draw. A month later, Milner set an England under-21 record by making his 30th appearance for the team in a 3–0 win against Montenegro. Historically, players with several England Under-21 appearances have not progressed to become regulars in the senior team, which has led some to doubt whether Milner would be able to successfully make the transition. In October, he scored his third goal for the under-21 team in a 3–0 win over Republic of Ireland. He scored again in the return match four months later that England also won 3–0. Milner continued to be a regular and was the only player, along with Joe Hart and captain Steven Taylor, to have played in all the qualifiers for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. In the summer of 2009, he was in the squad for the
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006–07 compe ...
in Sweden. He helped set up the winning goal for Micah Richards against Finland, and manager
Stuart Pearce Stuart Pearce (born 24 April 1962) is an English professional football manager and former player, who was most recently a first-team coach for Premier League club West Ham United. He was nicknamed "Psycho" for his unforgiving style of play. ...
said after the match, "The modern-day full-back can get up and down the pitch and I knew ilnerwould be comfortable". In England's second match against Spain, Milner had a penalty saved by
Sergio Asenjo Sergio Asenjo Andrés (; born 28 June 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Valladolid as a goalkeeper. He started his professional career with Valladolid in 2007, making 47 senior appearances in his first spell. He then ...
, and scored England's second goal in a 2–0 win. England faced the hosts Sweden in the semi-finals. After the match ended in a 3–3 draw, it went to a penalty shoot-out. Milner was the only England player to miss in the shoot-out after he slipped just before kicking the ball, causing it to go over the crossbar. England won the shoot-out 5–4 to advance to the final for the first time in 25 years. England lost the final to Germany 4–0 and Milner said after the match that the team was "hurting" and that the way in which the team lost was "not good enough". The final was his last match for the under-21 team. His 46 appearances at under-21 level are a national record.


Senior

In August 2009, Milner made his debut for the England senior team, when he came on as a substitute in a friendly match against the Netherlands for the final 23 minutes. The match ended in a 2–2 draw. He played again for England the following month against Slovenia in another friendly and made his competitive debut four days later in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Croatia, where he played the final nine minutes. England won the latter match 5–1 to secure qualification for the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
. He was named in the squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa and was selected in the
starting lineup In sports, a starting lineup is an official list of the set of players who will participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as ''starters'', whereas the others are ''substitutes'' o ...
for England's first match of the tournament against the United States, although he was substituted after 30 minutes. In England's third match against Slovenia, he set up the only goal of the match with a cross for Jermain Defoe. He captained England for the first time for the final 10 minutes of the match in a 2–1 loss against France on 17 November 2010, when both Rio Ferdinand and
Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player, who most recently managed club Aston Villa. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, Ge ...
had been substituted. Milner played in six matches during
qualifying Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to: * Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
for UEFA Euro 2012, and was named in
Roy Hodgson Roy Hodgson (born 9 August 1947) is a former English football manager and player. He managed 22 different teams in eight countries, beginning in Sweden with Halmstads BK in the 1976 season. He later guided the Switzerland national team to th ...
's 23-man squad for the tournament. Milner started Hodgson's first match in charge, a 1–0 friendly win against Norway. He started all of England's group stage games as the Three Lions finished top of group D and qualified for the quarter-finals. He started but was taken off after an hour as England were eliminated by Italy in a penalty shoot-out. On 7 September 2012, Milner scored his first and only international goal in a 5–0 win away to Moldova during
2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. The 2014 FIFA World Cup featured 32 teams, with one place reserved for the host nation, Brazil. The remaining 31 places were determined by ...
. Milner was included in Hodgson's squad for the
2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
. However, Milner failed to secure a regular starting place, coming on as a substitute in the final group game against
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
after England had already been eliminated, with the game ending in a 0–0 draw. Milner was part of the England squad for
Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...
, but once again was unable to secure regular playing time. Milner played just five minutes in the group stage, coming on as a late substitute against Russia, and did not play in England's loss to Iceland in the round of 16. On 5 August 2016, Milner announced his retirement from international duty following discussions with new England manager Sam Allardyce. The England manager Gareth Southgate enquired Milner's availability at the
2018 World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
, but Milner declined to return to international action.


Style of play

Milner is renowned for his versatility; across his career, Milner has played as a winger, central midfielder, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, and full back, with Milner's preferred position being as a central midfielder. During his time at Leeds United and Newcastle United, Milner predominantly played as a winger. He has been described as "comfortable on either wing". He moved into central midfield during his time at Aston Villa. Under Jürgen Klopp, Milner spent all of the 2016–17 season playing at
left back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
for Liverpool. Milner stated he did not enjoy playing as a left back but also said: "It's about whatever's best for the team and ultimately I just want to be out there playing games, contributing and helping this football club." He also played in a holding role and in a box-to-box role on occasion for Liverpool in later seasons, drawing praise in the media for his dynamism, energy, work-rate, and consistent performances. Milner is regarded as being a tenacious footballer.
Manuel Pellegrini Manuel Lúis Pellegrini Ripamonti (; ; born 16 September 1953) is a Chilean professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Real Betis. As a coach, he has managed teams in Spain, England, Argentina, Chile, China and Ecuador. ...
, who managed Milner at Manchester City, described him as the most complete English player in the modern game, praising his all round ability, commitment, performance level and versatility. Milner is often considered to be one of the most underrated players of his generation, with '' The Telegraph'' including him at number seven in their list of "The top 20 most under-rated footballers of all time" in 2015, describing him as "hard working, reliable and intelligent." Milner has the ability to pass accurately and shoot from a great distance from goal. As a result, he usually goes forward for
set pieces "Set Pieces" is the first EP release by Canadian indie band Braids. The EP was released in 2008 under the band's original name, The Neighbourhood Council. Recording The EP was recorded at CJSW in Calgary, Canada Calgary ( ) is the larges ...
and is often a candidate to take corners and free kicks. While Milner does not score many goals, he does have a good record at providing assists, with over 80 in the Premier League placing him 8th all time. Critical opinion is divided as to Milner's crossing ability. While some commentators have been critical of his ability in this area, other journalists have said that Milner can produce accurate crosses. Milner, in his time at the club, was described on the Newcastle United official website as "a good reader of the game". This awareness allows him to pass the ball from a range of positions to teammates making forward runs, as well as giving him the confidence to take on defenders.


Personal life

Milner is married to Amy Fletcher. The couple have two children: a daughter and a son. Milner learnt to speak Spanish 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 Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or is ...
. Milner was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the
2022 Birthday Honours The 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as par ...
for services to association football and charity.


Career statistics


Club


International

:''England score listed first, score column indicates score after Milner goal''


Honours

Newcastle United *
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, 'betting pool'),Most precisely, from (football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International Foot ...
:
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
Aston Villa *
Football League Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
runner-up: 2009–10 Manchester City * Premier League: 2011–12, 2013–14 * FA Cup:
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
; runner-up:
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
*Football League Cup: 2013–14 *
FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...
:
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Liverpool *Premier League: 2019–20 *FA Cup: 2021–22 * Football League Cup/EFL Cup: 2021–22; runner-up: 2015–16 *FA Community Shield:
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
* UEFA Champions League: 2018–19; runner-up: 2017–18, 2021–22 * UEFA Super Cup:
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
*
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
:
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
* UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2015–16 England U21 * UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up:
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
Individual * PFA Young Player of the Year: 2009–10 *
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
:
2009–10 Premier League The 2009–10 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 18th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. A total of 20 teams competed in the league, with Chelsea unseating the three ...
*Aston Villa Supporters' Player of the Year: 2009–10


See also

* List of men's footballers with 1,000 or more official appearances


References


External links


Profile
at the Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. website * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Milner, James 1986 births Living people People from Wortley, Leeds Footballers from Leeds English men's footballers Men's association football defenders Men's association football midfielders Men's association football wingers Leeds United F.C. players Swindon Town F.C. players Newcastle United F.C. players Aston Villa F.C. players Manchester City F.C. players Liverpool F.C. players Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players Premier League players English Football League players UEFA Champions League winning players England men's youth international footballers England men's under-21 international footballers England men's international footballers 2010 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2012 players 2014 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2016 players People educated at Boston Spa Academy Members of the Order of the British Empire