Sport

The Premier League’s Ultimate Professional

While “Lose Yourself” by Eminem was dominating the music charts in the United States and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was exploding onto the box office, a young forward by the name of James Milner was making his debut for Leeds United.

At the age of just 16, Milner replaced Jason Wilcox late on in a 4-3 win at West Ham on November 10 2002. If references to the song and film weren’t enough to adequately demonstrate the passage of time, Wilcox is now director of football at Manchester United.

Football and society generally have changed an incredible amount since that day, but Milner has been a constant. Now 40, he is set to level the Premier League’s appearance record of 653, currently held by his former team-mate Gareth Barry, should he play for Brighton against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

There are so many ways to marvel at the longevity of Milner’s career at the highest level, but only viewing it in those terms does him a huge disservice. He has played for some of the biggest clubs in England and won a number of titles, played 61 times for his country and became the dream member of every squad for whichever manager he played under.

It says everything about the reasons Milner is still playing, and competing in the Premier League, with no suggestion of retirement yet, that he has played across the pitch for Leeds, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and now Brighton. Not one ex-team-mate or fan of any of those clubs would be able to say a bad word about him.

His skillset and quality on the ball, particularly in possession, have stood the test of time. He would not have done everything he has without being an excellent player. But, ultimately, he has been defined by his professionalism, leadership and intelligence, both tactical and emotional.

At Leeds, just weeks after that West Ham game, having started his career as a striker, he became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at 16 years and 356 days old. It was at Newcastle under Sir Bobby Robson, whom he joined in the summer of 2004 following Leeds’ relegation, that his transition into a winger began.

But the most impressive thing about Milner is he has seen football’s fashion shift numerous times in his career and adapted to find his place. While Newcastle fans loved his endeavour and energy on the right and left, and his sale to Aston Villa in 2008 was the first shot fired in a bitter civil war which ultimately brought manager Kevin Keegan’s second spell in charge to an abrupt end, it would soon become clear he lacked the pace to play out wide.

As wingers have developed into some of the most potent sources of goals in recent years – Milner spent years alongside arguably the best example in Premier League history, Mohamed Salah at Liverpool – he became more suited to playing in midfield. His consistency never wavered, and he was often seen as susceptible to being dropped for more creative and exciting players, but that rarely happened. Every manager, no matter their philosophy, needs players who work hard, adapt, are regularly available and willing to do anything for the team.

If you needed a tag line to sum up Milner’s career, that was it.

By the time he left Liverpool, where he’d won the Premier League and Champions League under Jurgen Klopp, he was regularly playing at fullback. He is not one of Fabian Hurzelor’s most used players, but arguably could not be in a better place, helping the youngest manager in the league develop a team known for expansive football and developing emerging talent. His qualities have proven invaluable.

Whenever it happens, be it this Sunday or not, nobody deserves to head up the list of Premier League appearances more than James Milner. While rarely seen as the best player, it is telling just how far his attitude and desire has got him. He is the finest possible example to the next generation.