If James Milner features in Brighton & Hove Albion’s match against Crystal Palace tomorrow, he will equal Gareth Barry’s all-time Premier League appearance record (653 games). The 40-year-old Milner has played in the top flight for more than 20 years and represented six different clubs. The Times spoke to Jürgen Klopp to hear his thoughts on Milner’s story.
Klopp said:
When I first arrived at Liverpool, I didn’t know much about him and saw him as a winger. I’d played against him at Borussia Dortmund and he’d also played for Manchester City. I soon realised he was something special. A serious player, a serious professional, someone I knew could be my "partner" at the club. Whatever the future held, we’d face it together.
In my first full season there, I played him at left-back. It was the summer before Andy Robertson joined, and James had filled in there from time to time already. He didn’t really like the position, but during our pre-season tour in the US, I had a meeting with him and said: “Look, we don’t have the money to sign another left-back, you might have to play there again.”
His response was: “Boss, really? That’s not my position.”
“Maybe not, but you’re the best for it.”
And he played incredibly well, absolutely outstanding. Having a player like that in the team is so important.
His technical ability is ridiculous. People always talk about his attitude, but his technical level is top-class.
He might not be as fast as Sadio or Mo, and I’m not 100 percent sure about his attacking heading ability, but everything else is top, top, top, top – if not world-class. He’s two-footed, but sometimes his desire to help the game, to help others, means it stops him from showing those other sides.
Without him, nothing would have ever happened for that Liverpool side. That’s 100 percent fact. Nothing at all.
For example, he educated Curtis Jones. Curtis is the classic super talent: give me the ball and I’ll make something happen. He didn’t pass much in the youth team because he knew he could do it better than anyone else.
Then you get to the first team and you have to think about all these different things, and James made sure he saw that. Not in a harsh way. He didn’t want to change his personality, just shape it.
After James left, someone once came into my office and said: "So-and-so is late, how much is the fine?" I was like: “I have no idea! No one has ever asked me this before, why are you asking now?”
Before he left, Millie (Milner’s nickname) always sorted out things like this. Kept all that stuff in perfect order. Then after seven years together, it became my problem!
When you’re at a football club every single day, you can’t fully appreciate certain people. Now I’m on the outside, I see it. I only messaged him recently and said: "It was an honour to walk a part of the journey with you." I mean it. The honour was mine. I think this
record will never be broken again. He’s the last dinosaur to do this!
