HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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, rugb ...
who plays as a
midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
for club
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
, in midfield and at full-back. Milner's talent in football, cricket, and long-distance running was recognised early. He represented Horsforth School in these sports and played football for amateur teams from Rawdon and
Horsforth 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 ...
. He supported
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
from childhood, joining the Leeds Youth Academy in 1996. He made his debut for the first team in 2002 aged 16 and gained prominence as the youngest player to score in the Premier League, and later spent time on
loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...
at
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club has played home matches at the County Ground sin ...
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 En ...
. 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 Fo ...
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 The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the s ...
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 t ...
, and went on to win two Premier Leagues, one
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
, one
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
and one
FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is Football in England, English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA C ...
. In 2015, Milner signed for Liverpool 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 r ...
. He went on to win the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
in
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 ...
, as well as his third Premier League title, the
UEFA Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was original ...
, 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 The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team. This team is for England players aged under 21 at the start of the cale ...
, playing at the
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
and
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; Protests ...
UEFA European Under-21 Championship The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial Association football, football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. ...
s, finishing as runner-up in the latter. He won 61 caps for the full
national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
, scoring once against
Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistri ...
. He was selected for the
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
and
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has ...
squads, as well as the
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 gat ...
and
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
UEFA European Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA). The competition is conte ...
s.


Early life

Born 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 t ...
in
Horsforth 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 ...
. 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 The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
and an award for his performance in
physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...
. Milner played for the
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
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 Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
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. I ...
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 182 ...
holders and Milner later became a
ball boy Ball boys and ball girls, also known as ball kids are individuals, usually human youths but sometimes dogs, who retrieve and supply balls for players or officials in sports such as association football, American football, bandy, cricket, tenn ...
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, secti ...
while playing for Westbrook Juniors in Horsforth. At the academy, Milner played against contemporaries from other clubs in
Northern England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angles, Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Scandinavian York, K ...
, 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 Salford to the west. The ...
striker
Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional football manager and former player, who is the manager of Major League Soccer club D.C. United in the United States. He spent much of his playing career as a forward while ...
. 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 Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
and
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, 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 West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
, when he came on as a substitute for
Jason Wilcox Jason Malcolm Wilcox (born 15 March 1971) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and director of football at EFL Championship side Southampton. As a player, Wilcox was a left winger from 1989 until 2006, notably in the Pr ...
for the last six minutes. The appearance made him the second-youngest player ever to play in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
, 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 Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
two days later, Milner scored again, with a deft first touch of the ball and manoeuvre, in order to avoid a tackle from Chelsea defender
Marcel Desailly Marcel Desailly (born Odenke Abbey; 7 September 1968) is a French former professional footballer, widely considered to be among the greatest centre-backs and defensive midfielders to ever play football. During a successful career at club level, l ...
. 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 Claudio Ranieri Grande Ufficiale OMRI (; born 20 October 1951) is an Italian football manager and former player. He will be the new head coach of club Cagliari from 1 January 2023. Ranieri began his managerial career in the lower leagues in ...
remarked after the match that Milner had performed like a much more experienced player. The performance prompted comparisons to
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
internationals
Michael Owen Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, as well as for the England national team. Since r ...
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 In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...
to
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
club
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club has played home matches at the County Ground sin ...
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 Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
and
Luton Town Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
. 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 In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open league ...
to the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
led to speculation over Milner's future at the club.
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
,
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 En ...
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

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 Kitchee Sports Club (; ; ) is a Hong Kong professional football club based in Kowloon. It was founded in 1931 and currently competes in the Hong Kong Premier League. The club has won championships in Hong Kong 11 times, including 6 Hong Kong ...
, 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 Premi ...
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 Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the ...
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 A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
against
Bnei Sakhnin Bnei Sakhnin F.C. ( ar, اتحاد أبناء سخنين, he, איחוד בני סכנין, ''Ihud Bnei Sakhnin''; ''Ittihad Abna Sakhnin'', ) is an Israeli football club based at the Doha Stadium in Sakhnin. They are the most successful clu ...
from Israel, after coming on as a substitute for
Shola Ameobi Foluwashola Ameobi (born 12 October 1981) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent 14 years at Newcastle United, making 397 official appearances and scoring 79 goals, and received a winner's medal when the ...
. 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 West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
. The situation changed for Milner after Newcastle manager
Bobby Robson Sir Robert William Robson (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English footballer and football manager. His career included periods playing for and later managing the England national team and being a UEFA Cup-winning manager at Ipswich ...
, whom Milner considered his mentor, was sacked and replaced by Graeme Souness. 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 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 Fo ...
, 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 ...
from Aston Villa resulted in Milner being loaned to Villa for the rest of the season. Villa manager
David O'Leary David Anthony O'Leary (born 2 May 1958) is a football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United, subsequently managing Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai. The majority of his 20-yea ...
, 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 In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
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 Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play their home ...
, 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 Gareth Barry (born 23 February 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 653 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion, the highest number of ap ...
. 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 play ...
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 A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
, playing all but one of the Magpies 12 games. Rumours began to spread that he would be sold during the
transfer window A transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other playing staff into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA. "Transfer wi ...
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 Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
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 Samuel Allardyce (; born 19 October 1954), colloquially referred to as Big Sam, is an English football manager and former professional player. Allardyce made 578 league and cup appearances in a 21-year career spent mostly in the Football Lea ...
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 The Tyne–Wear derby, also known as the North East derby, is a local derby between the association football clubs Sunderland and Newcastle United. The derby is an inter-city rivalry in North East England with the two cities of Sunderland and Ne ...
from a shot intended as a
cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...
. 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 Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
. 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, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed t ...
, it was revealed after the match that Milner had handed in a written transfer request 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 The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
tie against Gillingham at
Priestfield Stadium Priestfield Stadium (popularly known simply as Priestfield and officially known from 2007 to 2010 as KRBS Priestfield Stadium and from 2011 as MEMS Priestfield Stadium for sponsorship purposes) is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent. It ha ...
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. 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 whi ...
. Milner continued to impress and, on 7 February, scored his second league goal of the season against
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
. This was followed by a 25-yard
free kick A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play. Association football In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an offe ...
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 t ...
. On 28 February 2010, he scored the opening goal in the 2010 League Cup Final with a
penalty Penalty or The Penalty may refer to: Sports * Penalty (golf) * Penalty (gridiron football) * Penalty (ice hockey) * Penalty (rugby) * Penalty (rugby union) * Penalty kick (association football) * Penalty shoot-out (association football) * Penal ...
. Villa were eventually beaten 2–1 by Manchester United. Milner ended the season with 12 goals and was named Aston Villa's Fan's Player of the Year and
PFA Young Player of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the s ...
. 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 professi ...
. 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 The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
third-round match at
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
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 final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The final took place on 14 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London in front of 88,643 spectators and a British television audience of m ...
. 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 The Manchester derby refers to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United, first contested in 1881. City play at the City of Manchester Stadium in Bradford, east Manchester, while United play at Old Trafford in the borough of ...
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 Wembl ...
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
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction. Red card may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers * Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or dia ...
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 mostl ...
, 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 Allianz Arena (; known as Fußball Arena München for UEFA competitions) is a football stadium in Munich, Bavaria, Germany with a 70,000 seating capacity for international matches and 75,000 for domestic matches. Widely known for its exterio ...
in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
, 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 In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
winners medal and a second
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
title. Milner's final game for City came in May 2015, a 2–0 win over
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
.


Liverpool

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 The Bet365 Stadium (stylised as ''bet365 Stadium'') is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England and the home of EFL Championship club Stoke City. The stadium was previously called the Britannia Stadium but was ...
. 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 ...
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). On 4 April 2018, he equalled the Champions league assist record (8 assists) by assisting
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Alexander Mark David Oxlade-Chamberlain (born 15 August 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Liverpool. After rising to prominence with Southampton during the 2010–11 season aged 17, Oxlade-Chambe ...
's goal against Man City in the quarter-final first leg. On 24 April 2018, Milner broke that record, becoming the first player in Champions League history to provide 9 assists in a single season, setting up
Roberto Firmino Roberto Firmino Barbosa de Oliveira (born 2 October 1991) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for club Liverpool and the Brazil national team. After starting his career with Figueirense in ...
's second goal during the 5–2 semi-final, first leg win vs
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council * Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
. 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 Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
. On 14 August 2019, Milner won his first UEFA Super Cup, starting the match against Chelsea, as the Champions League holders beat the Europa League winners on penalties 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 Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
. 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 3rd, 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
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
win against
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter i ...
to make his 800th senior appearance at club level. On 27 February 2022, Milner scored Liverpool's first penalty of the shootout in the 2022 EFL Cup Final victory over
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. On 14 May 2022, Milner once again scored Liverpool's first penalty of the shootout in the 2022 FA Cup Final victory over Chelsea. On 6 June 2022, Milner signed a one-year extension with the club. On 5 October 2022, he marked his 300th appearance for Liverpool in a 2–0 victory against
Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the Govan district of Glasgow which plays in the Scottish Premiership. Although not its official name, it is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers outside Scotland. The fou ...
in the Champions League. On 12 November 2022, Milner came on as a substitute against
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
to make his 600th Premier League appearance.


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 4 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 countries, Nordic c ...
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 Neth ...
, against
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. 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 ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, which meant he would have missed the final. The match was decided by a
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
, in which Milner scored twice and England lost 13–12. Milner was included in the under-21 squad for a friendly against
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, 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 ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = ...
. 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 Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. ...
. 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 Charles Joseph John Hart (born 19 April 1987) known professionally simply as Joe Hart is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Celtic. He began his career at his hometown club Shrewsbury T ...
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 final 23-man U21 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 Micah Lincoln Richards (born 24 June 1988) is an English former professional footballer, sports pundit for Sky Sports and BBC Sport, and as an ambassador of Manchester City. As a player, he was a right back who played in the Premier League and ...
against
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
, 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 , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
, 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 Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
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 An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
against the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
for the final 23 minutes. The match ended in a 2–2 draw. He played again for England the following month against
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
in another friendly and made his competitive debut four days later in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
, 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 final 23-man squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa and was selected in the starting eleven for England's first match of the tournament against the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, 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 Jermain Colin Defoe (born 7 October 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He also played for the England national team. Defoe began his career with Charlton Athletic, joining their youth team aged 14, be ...
. He captained England for the first time for the final 10 minutes of the match in a 2–1 loss against
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
on 17 November 2010, when both
Rio Ferdinand Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and is now a television pundit for BT Sport. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and w ...
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, ...
had been substituted. Milner played in six matches during qualifying for
UEFA Euro 2012 The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
, 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 ...
'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 Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
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 Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistri ...
during 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying. 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 list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from ...
. 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 o ...
, 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 Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, and did not play in England's loss to
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...
in the round of 16. On 5 August 2016, Milner announced his retirement from international duty following discussions with new England manager
Sam Allardyce Samuel Allardyce (; born 19 October 1954), colloquially referred to as Big Sam, is an English football manager and former professional player. Allardyce made 578 league and cup appearances in a 21-year career spent mostly in the Football Lea ...
. The England manager
Gareth Southgate Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a defender and midfielder. He has been the manager of the England national team since 2016. Southgate won the League Cu ...
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 Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
, but Milner politely declined to return to international action.


Style of play

Milner is renowned for his versatility; across his career, Milner has played as a
central midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, a
defensive midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundari ...
and as an
attacking midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, as well as on the wing, and as a full-back, with Milner's preferred position being as a central midfielder. During his time at Leeds United, Milner predominantly played as a winger, before moving into central midfield during his time at Aston Villa. Milner is regarded as being a tenacious footballer. As a result, his main role on the team is as a wide midfielder who creates scoring opportunities. 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. Nolberto Solano, a former teammate, said that because of his ability, Milner would "become an important team player". After his move to Newcastle, he began playing more as a winger. He has been described as "comfortable on either wing". He has also been used occasionally as a central midfielder, a striker and as an emergency right-back, generally during an injury crisis. Manuel Pellegrini, 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 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. 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. His awareness and willingness to pass at the age of 17 were seen as mature for a player of his age. Under
Jürgen Klopp Jürgen Norbert Klopp (; born 16 June 1967) is a German professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Liverpool. He is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the world. Klopp spent most of his playing ...
, Milner spent all of the 2016–17 season playing at left-back 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, drawing praise in the media for his dynamism, energy, work-rate, and consistent performances. In 2015, ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' included him at number seven in their list of "The top 20 most under-rated footballers of all time", describing him as "hard working, reliable and intelligent."


Personal life

Milner is married to Amy Fletcher. The couple have two children: a daughter and a son. Milner learnt to speak
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
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 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 The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(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 pa ...
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 Fo ...
:
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 votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
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 t ...
runner-up: 2009–10 Manchester City *
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
: 2011–12, 2013–14 *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
:
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. ...
; runner-up: 2012–13 *Football League Cup: 2013–14 *
FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is Football in England, English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA C ...
:
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 gat ...
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; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
; *
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
: 2018–19; runner-up: 2017–18, 2021–22 *
UEFA Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was original ...
:
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 The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
runner-up: 2015–16 England U21 *
UEFA European Under-21 Championship The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial Association football, football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. ...
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; Protests ...
Individual *
PFA Young Player of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the s ...
: 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 Premi ...
:
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 thre ...


References


External links


Profile
at the Liverpool F.C. website * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Milner, James 1986 births Living people People from Wortley, Leeds Footballers from Leeds English footballers Association football defenders Association football midfielders 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 Premier League players English Football League players FA Cup Final players UEFA Champions League winning players England youth international footballers England under-21 international footballers England 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