James Milner has been a reliable leader and a trusted go-to man for Jurgen Klopp during his eight-year tenure at Liverpool. When he joined the club in 2015, he was looking for a new place to call home and the Reds offered him an inviting contract as a free agent. Milner was quickly named vice-captain by Brendan Rodgers and took responsibility as the Reds’ penalty taker in his debut season. He was then asked to play left-back in the following season, a far from his favoured position, but he applied himself fully to the role and scored seven times and notched four assists in all competitions. In the next four seasons, Milner would help Liverpool lift six different pieces of silverware and complete his personal set. He played in all but one of the games on the way to lifting Ol’ Big Ears and scored a timely penalty against Leicester in the record-breaking league title season. He also played his part in the Super Cup and Club World Cup successes that same campaign. Despite being used with less frequency from the start, he has consistently appeared close to or above 40 times in each of his eight campaigns. Klopp has praised Milner for his reliability and presence on and off the pitch, calling him an “incredible part of the team”. At 37, Milner and the club no longer appear to be on the same page, but he has played 331 times for the club, scored 26 goals, provided 45 assists and played his role in adding six trophies to the cabinet. Liverpool are losing a big presence in their dressing room but we wish James Milner all the best in his next chapter.
