James Milner has acknowledged that retiring from international football is a factor in him becoming a Champions League semi-finalist for the first time at the age of 32.
Milner, outstanding in Liverpool’s European run, has rebuffed efforts by Gareth Southgate to play again for England, having hung up his boots in 2016 with 61 caps.
Sacrificing a probable World Cup place wasn’t easy but his club manager Jurgen Klopp has reaped the rewards for Milner putting his feet up during international breaks. The in-form midfielder starred in his 40th game of the season on Tuesday night when Liverpool defeated Premier League leaders Manchester City to set up a tie against Roma in the last four. Now, by pacing himself correctly, he feels he can go on for several more years.
Liverpool’s utility man James Milner feels he can play football for several more years
‘The decision with England was a tough one but I think those weeks in the season where the manager looked after me and gave me time off did help,’ said Milner. ‘Fitness has always been a strength of mine. People seem to look at ages and think once you get over 30 you’re coming to the end. I’d like to think I’ve got a number of years left in me. I feel really good and that’s down to the great work the staff at the club do looking after us and the facilities we have.
‘Eating the right things and doing the right things off the field are important. You see players like Ryan Giggs and Gareth Barry. If you look after yourself, you have a chance of playing a long time.’
Milner ran his heart out against City and has been as effective in the centre of the park this season as he was at left-back last year.
The former Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Manchester City star doesn’t ask or get any special privileges during the regular season because he recuperates properly when team-mates go off to play for their countries.
32-year-old Milner has rebuffed efforts by Gareth Southgate to play again for England
It is 15 years since he scored his first Premier League goal for Leeds — he remains the competition’s second youngest scorer behind James Vaughan — and you wouldn’t bet against him becoming one of the oldest.
‘We train very hard at Liverpool and I don’t think you can have anyone being treated differently — not at all,’ he laughs.
‘I think if I’m still mixing it and covering the ground for Liverpool, probably one of the hardest places to play with the demands here, but I am in a good place. I’ve not played in a Champions League semi-final yet. I played Europa for Newcastle and Villa, and got to a final with Liverpool (2016) which was disappointing to lose, and Champions League for City.
‘To be in the last four of the biggest competition is where you want to be and where Liverpool have been as a club many times in the past. I think we are improving all the time, you can see that. To beat a team like Man City shows how good we are but there is also plenty we can learn from those two games.’
Though Liverpool’s odds of repeating their unlikely triumph of 2005 have shortened by drawing Roma, Milner and his team-mates will be wary of the Italians after their 3-0 victory against Barcelona.
Milner insists beating Manchester City over two legs proves Liverpool ‘can beat anyone’
The versatile Yorkshireman won the Premier League at City with Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov and knows Liverpool could face a tactical battle, despite their own famed front three of ex-Roma favourite Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
‘Every team that gets to a Champions League semi-final deserves to be there,’ he says. ‘Beating a team like Manchester City over two legs should give us confidence and prove we can beat anyone.
‘But we still have to go out there and do it again. We need to take all that experience into the semi-final.’
After more than 700 career games, he is eagerly anticipating two more big ones against Roma.
‘I’m very lucky. I have played in very big games, cup finals and games to win the league,’ he says. ‘It is hard to say which are bigger than others, World Cup games, things like that. But hopefully those experiences will help.’