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| James Milner wants to win silverware and bring back the glory days to Liverpool |
JAMES MILNER could have settled for the easy life at Manchester City, sky high wages and a cupboard full of medals.
But the 29-year-old England star renowned for his relentless energy and indomitable spirit has never been one to run away from challenges.
Since he first burst onto the Premier League scene at the age of 16 with Leeds United Milner has taken everything in his stride, whether it’s been trying to placate the Geordie hordes at Newcastle, give the Holte End something to shout about at Aston Villa or help realise the expectation of oil rich Manchester City.
Now it’s all about turning the clock back at Liverpool to the days when silverware was as common as a Beatles number one.
Milner thrives on pressure situations. It’s what makes him tick. It’s also why he has two Manchester City Premier League title winning medals in his trophy cabinet.
"Pressure comes with a big club. I have been fortunate to play with some big clubs in my career and know the expectation and pressure of putting on Liverpool shirt.” he explained.
“It is a club that is used to winning trophies and that is one reason why I joined.
"Obviously the recent history has not been littered with as many trophies, but that is something I would like to contribute towards.
“That was one of the reasons why I joined Manchester City, because they had not won trophies for a long time and I was lucky enough to win trophies there and be in at the start of that cycle.
"I didn’t come here to Liverpool just to play, but somewhere I could contribute and win trophies as they are accustomed to in their history.”
Milner allowed his Manchester City contract to run down and joined Liverpool on a Bosman free transfer, much of the sweet talking done by Brendan Rodgers. He admits he was hurt by Rodgers’ sacking.
“It is never easy changing managers. I was disappointed obviously for Brendan, I think he is a top manager, one who came so close to glory as well. It was disappointing but unfortunately that's football. Things change quickly and you have to get over it.”he said.
Now like most in the red half of Merseyside he has been consumed by the charisma of Rodgers’ successor, Jurgen Klopp.
Milner added: “Coming into a new club and one with the history of Liverpool in a new country is not easy. I think probably the hardest job is getting people to take to you straight away.
“By the things you read and see he has got everyone onside and he is a likeable character. He has changed things with the team, training schedules and things like that.
“But I think he has done it in the right way as well. You can't just come in and start blasting and changing absolutely everything right away.
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| Milner has done well under Brendan Rodgers' successor, Jurgen Klopp |
“It has been a good start but everybody here realises we are a long way from being the finished article.”
Under Klopp, illustrated by the stunning performances at Chelsea, Manchester City and on Wednesday night at Southampton, Liverpool have been running teams off the park.
That seems to be right up Milner’s street with his reputation as football’s equivalent of a Duracell bunny.
But he maintained: “Ultimately we want to run less. If we are doing it right and we are getting the ball back and we are keeping the ball, it means we are going to run less. That's the aim, to bring the stats down, to have the intensity and score a few goals, that would be nice.”
When he runs out on the familiar St. James’ Park turf against a Newcastle side in the midst of yet another crisis his sympathies will lie with the Toon army.
He added: “The support is unreal. It always has been. The expectation every year in turning up and thinking ‘is this going to be our year?’
"One of the most special sights I’ve seen was going to our FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Cardiff in 2005. The scenes there were incredible with fans hanging off lampposts and whole streets rammed with black and white.
"It took us 15 minutes longer than it should have done and we only just arrived in the time we were given.
"When I was there you can feel the expectation and the will to want you to do well. That frustration boils over when you are not, and that is understandable. They are desperate for a trophy because it has been so long and hopefully that ends at some point.
"As a former player, you want your old clubs to do well and it has been disappointing to see what they have been through.”
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