So, the James Milner saga is finally over. After months of uncertainty everything has fizzled out in rather unspectacular fashion as the Yorkshire-born midfielder has decided to let his contract run down and seek pastures new. Liverpool the preferred choice for Milner, who is keen for a regular starting position in central midfield – something The Reds could facilitate with Steven Gerrard’s well-documented departure across the pond. But I’m not here to bash the England international, but rather celebrate his time in a blue shirt – here are his top 3 moments from the last 5 years.
1. Bayern Away – 2013
I think James Milner’s career at City was encapsulated in this Champions League clash. I know it seems like a tired Milner cliché but he really did run his socks off and once again showed his freakishly good stamina and fitness levels that many players simply do not have. He stunned the Allianz crowd as he played a central role in helping City claw back a two-nil deficit after only having played 12 minutes. He won the penalty that levelled the affair and curled in an absolute stunner late on to secure a victory against all odds in Bavaria. The strike was technically superb and placed to perfection, it showed up anyone who had questioned his ability to perform in games of such high magnitude. A truly remarkable performance and one he won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
2. United Away – 2013
Despite being resigned to a ‘titleless’ season at the hands of close-by rivals Manchester United, this game provided the perfect opportunity to secure bragging rights for the fans and show the league who was the better side in terms of a head-to-head clash. Milner knows what these ties are about and being Leeds born and bred, had no problem putting United to the sword. He worked tirelessly again, as you’ve probably already gathered a key feature to his game; and it ended up paying its dividends, as just after half-time he broke the deadlock with a low, 20 yard driven strike which took a touch off Jones before evading De Gea in goal.
The way Milner played and handled the occasion earned himself plaudits and a large amount of respect among City fans who may have thought players were viewing the game as a dead rubber, which they evidently wouldn’t have wanted…
3. Stoke Away – 2015
James Milner is, unfortunately, known as a boringly industrial and ‘head down and run’ kind of footballer. His monotone post match interviews and understated Yorkshire accent have seen him build up a reputation of being boring on and off the pitch- so much so he’s even got a parody account on Twitter of his ‘boring’ self with thousands of followers- but let’s not give it the time of day… After netting against Stoke, one of our many bogey sides, he proceeded to place one hand over his ear and mimic the spinning of a DJ deck with the other. After laughing it off as ‘a joke we have with the boys’ in a post match interview, it seemed trivial. Yet personally to Milner you cant help but feel there was probably something slightly deeper to it all. He’s unfairly scrutinised as a footballer and as a person. Creatively, he isn’t all that bad and clearly he is a someone who is outspoken around his peers and widely loved. Boring? I don’t think so.
Originally published on https://theshoulderdrop.wordpress.com/
Comments.
Loading comments…