Written by James Cranford – @jamescranford89
Liverpool are celebrating reaching their fourth European final under Jürgen Klopp. The Reds rallied following one of their worst halves of football all season to win 3-2 away at Villarreal. One man that has been present throughout the Klopp era, who can be considered one of the manager’s ‘generals’, is James Milner. The Yorkshire-born veteran started away at Newcastle last weekend, and came on to sure up the game in Spain.
Goal.com’s Neil Jones reported this week that the manager is keen to keep Milner for at least another season. A potential sticking point could be game time for the utility man, who is still extremely fit and is keen to start regularly in the Premier League.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight Show, we asked Neil the likelihood of seeing James Milner line up for the Reds next season.
Neil said:
“The doubts are from his (Milner’s) side – he knows he’s at best fifth choice. There are a lot of options in midfield. Milner’s going to be 37 when he has his next birthday in January. Where is his football going to come from? He’s still able to have an impact in games, which he did at Newcastle, he helps set up the goal. He’s still got a role to play, he still wants to be at Liverpool, but he’s also looking at it logically for his career. He’s roughly [played] the same amount of games as the last three seasons. It’s his starts in the Premier League and the Champions League that are going down. From Liverpool’s point of view – what do you give him? Without insulting him or without tying yourself into another year. Milner doesn’t miss a trick. You want to say goodbye to that at exactly the right time, not too early.”
Redmen Reacts
Whichever way this situation resolves itself, James Milner is firmly ensconced in the tier of Liverpool legends. Arriving on a free transfer in 2015, the 36-year-old has been a key driver of success at the club, both on and off the pitch.
If ‘Milly’ decides he wants to play every week from the start, hopefully he can depart with a host of winner’s medals to add to his already bulging collection. If he does accept another season of substitute appearances and the odd start, he still has a vital role to play setting the standard for the likes of Harvey Elliott and any potential signings in the midfield area.
His physical fitness and dedication will not diminish over the next 12 months, so it would not represent a huge gamble to keep him. A towering example to young players, the club would be foolish not to give Milner a coaching role when he retires, provided that is the route he wishes to go down.
