Theo Squires discusses James Milner’s time at Liverpool and the reasons why he should be considered for the team role of club legend Steven Gerrard.

Just 33 games separate James Milner from Gareth Barry’s record-breaking 652 Premier League appearances.

You wouldn’t bet against the former Liverpool star breaking such a record in the coming months given that he recently agreed to a one-year contract with Brighton and Hove Albion that includes the option of an additional year.

In actuality, the 37-year-old might surpass Barry before the 2023–24 season is over. He played 31 times in the Premier League last season, even though only seven of those appearances were starts, despite being primarily a squad player in his final seasons at Anfield.

The only season since his final year at Aston Villa in 2009/10 in which he has made more than 32 league appearances is the 2016–17 season, in which he filled in so admirably at left-back and made 36 appearances, so it’s likely the veteran will need a second year at the Amex Stadium to break the record.

If Milner’s second season on the South Coast is made active, he will be 39 when his contract expires. The former England international, who will be aiming to join Gordon Strachan, Kevin Phillips, Ryan Giggs, and Teddy Sheringham as the fifth outfield player over 40 to play in the Premier League, can already be said to be looking beyond such a milestone.

Given his longevity, six of his Liverpool teammates who played for the Reds in 2022–2023 were actually born after the seasoned player made his professional debut for Leeds United on November 10, 2002. Milner, however, doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

Jurgen Klopp admitted back in January, alluding to what would ultimately be his departure, “We have different plans for Milly, but Milly wants to keep playing.”. “And I think everyone realizes that when you watch him play the other night (against Wolves). You can’t evaluate him based on his age or anything else.

“He is 37, but he doesn’t look that old. He gives it his all while in training. You could see on the field how important he is. Although Milly doesn’t plan to play 64 games per season, she could be very significant in that many games.

It is as it is. If I’m correct, Milly has played in 600 games throughout his career, and if I’m not mistaken, the majority of those games have likely been for Liverpool. So even a player with a history of changing clubs can end up at his club, and I can consider Liverpool to be that club. ”.

It is telling that Klopp wanted to keep Milner on staff at Anfield despite his experience, but no offer materialized. Unfortunately, Brighton gained from the Reds’ loss as the 37-year-old is now expected to be “incredibly important” for Robert De Zerbi’s team as they compete in Europe for the first time in their history.

No matter what he accomplishes at the Amex, Milner’s Anfield record would be surpassed. Only Roberto Firmino has been selected by Klopp more times in his managerial career than the 332 appearances, 26 goals, and 45 assists he made while playing for Merseyside over a eight-year span. The Yorkshireman, meanwhile, took home every major award presented to him for the Reds and participated in 10 of the 12 finals in which Liverpool competed while he was a member of the club.

Without a doubt, Milner is a modern Reds legend. He was also the best free agent signing in the team’s history. Although he is now 37, it still seems unreal when you consider what point in his career he was at when he first moved to Anfield.

The midfielder, who joined Liverpool at the age of 29, was signed on a Bosman after his contract with Man City expired in the summer of 2015. No one could have predicted what he would accomplish in the second half of his career on Merseyside after playing for Leeds, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa before his £26 million move to the Etihad.

According to reports from the time, the midfielder passed up a contract worth £165k per week to stay with Man City in favor of a deal worth less with the Reds. The lure of a more regular role with Liverpool, in his preferred central midfield position no less, after being nothing more than a sometimes overlooked squad player at the Etihad, and at a reported salary of around £150,000 per week, was a significant factor in his decision.

Although Brendan Rodgers, the manager at the time, made a wise choice in bringing him in, his arrival was, in some ways, underwhelming. Particularly when you take into account that Milner received the renowned number seven shirt, which was last worn by Luis Suarez, and was essentially an experienced replacement for the legendary Steven Gerrard following his free transfer to LA Galaxy the same summer after being appointed vice-captain two months after joining.

Kopites snorted at each of the three choices. While supporters recognized the wisdom of his signing, they continued to view James Milner—still incorrectly referred to as “Boring James Milner”—as an unwanted replacement for the Reds’ beloved son, who they were never prepared to see leave in the first place.

The midfielder is the greatest player in club history, making replacing him at Anfield impossible. Many have struggled to live up to the moniker “next Gerrard,” and captain Jordan Henderson initially felt the pressure before creating his own Reds saga.

While Naby Keita, like Milner, won every major award during his time at Anfield, injuries prevented him from living up to the lofty expectations placed on him, and this summer he left Liverpool for Werder Bremen on a free transfer. Such hopes were dashed, however, when Jude Bellingham, the “long-awaited heir,” decided to sign with Real Madrid.

The ‘unwanted’ replacement, however, appears to have been the ideal choice for the Liverpool legend all along, not their search for the ‘next Gerrard’ instead. While Milner may be a very different player now, he quietly assumed greater responsibility repeatedly during his eight years on Merseyside.

When it comes to playing, Milner and Gerrard are not comparable. He was never going to take a game by the scruff of the neck, turn the tide, and almost single-handedly rescue victory from the jaws of defeat.

Forget about Roy of the Rovers headlines, Hollywood passes, and 30-yard screamers. Milner’s influence was much more subtle.

He was the team’s needed leader both on and off the field, working alongside Henderson. In all areas, including training, competitions, and even in the canteen at the AXA Training Centre, the pair set the standards that everyone else followed. Over the past eight years, teammates have consistently endorsed the fact that he has 98 times captained the Reds in their testimonials.

The best demonstration of Milner’s leadership came during the club’s FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town in 2020, when he forwent a Premier League winter break to support the club’s young players by training with them the day before the game and conversing with them in the locker room at Anfield.

The 37-year-old is much more than just a glorified cheerleader, though. He has consistently put the interests of the team before his own, always stepping up when Liverpool needed him the most.

Despite joining the Reds to play in his preferred central-midfield position, he grudgingly played left-back for a season in 2016–17 after Klopp failed to sign a desired target. The following summer, Andy Robertson was added, but he still lined up at full-back on either flank when necessary.

He was also an excellent penalty taker, which was a skill he shared with Gerrard. The 37-year-old has scored several crucial penalty kicks for Liverpool when the stakes were highest. Goals against teams like Leicester City and Cardiff City in Premier League title races immediately come to mind.

Only seven players have converted more penalties for the Reds than the 19 that they have scored. He ranks fifth in Liverpool history for 12-yard production with 21 attempts and a success rate of 90.48 percent.

Then there are the assists. Only eight players have produced more assists than his 45 during the Premier League era: Steven McManaman, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Jordan Henderson, and Robbie Fowler. His most well-known contribution may have been the assist on Dejan Lovren’s late goal in the 4-3 victory over Borussia Dortmund in April 2016. He also holds the record for the most assists in the Champions League in a single season with nine, which helped the Reds advance to the championship game.

His never-give-up attitude is also noteworthy. When he was 34 years old and facing AFC Bournemouth in March 2020, he would sprint back to scoop Ryan Fraser’s goal-bound lob away when it had seemed like a goal was certain.

At the time, Liverpool was leading 2-1, securing a crucial three points. However, they also led the table by 25 points. Milner was not taking any chances.

Although he hardly ever scored the goals that gave Liverpool victories, he was essential to triumphs in many other ways. In one of his most well-known cameos, he replaced the injured Robertson at the break in the Reds’ 4-0 victory over Barcelona, which secured their spot in the 2019 Champions League final. As long as he was on the field, you could always count on Klopp’s team to fight to the bitter end.

After Milly, 37, made his final appearance for Liverpool at Anfield, Klopp praised, “It is Milly’s mentality.”. “I don’t want to undervalue his football because he performed admirably both here and today.

But my god, the way he enters the game. Whoever does that in the coming years faces a very high bar because of how many games he was able to win for us in this manner. ”.

Milner, who won the Premier League twice with Man City before joining the Reds, was one of the few Liverpool players with actual career victories when Klopp became manager in October 2015. Without that dose of winning mentality, the German would not have been able to convert skeptics into believers.

The German stated in May, as he has repeatedly stated, that “nothing good that has happened in the last seven and a half years would have happened without James Milner.”. “I believe I am the manager for whom he played the most games, and I’m afraid my English is not good enough to convey the depth of my admiration for him. ”.

Their eyes were always on Liverpool’s Gerrard replacement. The Reds are currently looking for Milner’s replacement as he moves on to new opportunities at Brighton.

Although Alexis Mac Allister has already arrived, there will be other midfield additions this summer as part of a much-needed engine-room makeover. But if any of Liverpool’s new additions enjoy even half of Milner’s Anfield career, they will still have accomplished more than most.

Following his final Anfield game, he told the club website, “I’ve loved every minute here. “Unbelievable club, the size of the club, the history before you come in, and we’ve managed to write our own history.

“Traveling the world, seeing the support we have, the special nights we’ve had here, the European nights, the unbelievable games, obviously Dortmund and Barca always stand out but other periods in games. You will always remember those experiences.

“I’m a Leeds fan through and through, and I always will be. But I never probably imagined that another club would be as interested in me as Liverpool is. That sums up everything about the location, the visitors, the past, the works we’ve produced here, as well as the group of people.

“I’ve been fortunate to share that dressing room with the individuals at the practice facility and the individuals who have been here for so long – that’s what football clubs are about,” the player said.

“I’ve had the good fortune to play here for eight years, and in the end, the club belongs to the supporters. I’ve had the good fortune to don the No. But hopefully I’ve filled the shirt with everything that a Liverpool player should have.