James Milner

Leeds United

Milner's first-team debut for Leeds came on 10 November 2002, in a match against West Ham United, when he came on as a substitute for Jason Wilcox for the last six minutes. The appearance made him the second-youngest player ever to play in the Premier League, 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. His record was broken by James Vaughan of Everton in 2005. In a match against Chelsea two days later, Milner scored again, with a deft first touch of the ball and manoeuvre, to avoid a tackle from Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly. The manoeuvre created a yard of space for him to deliver a curling shot from 18 yards (16 m). Reporters were impressed by his overall performance in the match, especially by his desire, confidence, and ability with both feet. Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri remarked after the match that Milner had performed like a much more experienced player. The performance prompted comparisons to England internationals Michael Owen 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 to Second Division club Swindon Town to gain experience as a first-team player. Before the stint, he saw it as a valuable…

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 four 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 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, against Wales. 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. 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, which meant he would have missed the final. The match was decided by a penalty shoot-out, in which Milner scored twice and England lost 13–12. Milner was included in the under-21 squad for a friendly against Romania, 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…

Milner is renowned for his versatility; across his career, Milner played as a winger, central midfielder, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, centre-forward and full-back, with Milner's preferred position being as a central midfielder. During his time at Leeds United and Newcastle United, Milner predominantly played as a winger. He has been described as "comfortable on either wing". He moved into central midfield during his time at Aston Villa. Under Jürgen Klopp, 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 for Liverpool in later seasons, drawing praise in the media for his dynamism, energy, work-rate, and consistent performances. Milner is regarded as being a tenacious footballer. 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 is often considered to be one of the most underrated players of his generation, with The Telegraph including him at number seven in their list of "The top 20 most under-rated footballers of all time" in 2015, describing him as "hard working, reliable and…

James Philip Milner was born on 4 January 1986 in Wortley, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Milner played most of his childhood football for Westbrook Lane Primary School in Horsforth, where one of his PE teachers and coaches was future Premier League referee Jon Moss, who would give him a red card two decades later. Milner 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 and an award for his performance in physical education. He played for the Yorkshire 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 consecutive seasons. He then completed his studies at Boston Spa School, a sports college which was a partner to the football club. Milner supported his hometown club Leeds United from a young age. His earliest memory of the team was watching them win the FA Youth Cup in 1993. He and his parents, Peter and Lesley, were season ticket holders and Milner later became a ball boy for the club. When Milner was 10 years old, he joined the Leeds United Academy after being spotted by a scout while playing for Westbrook Juniors in Horsforth. At the academy, Milner played against contemporaries from…