James Milner claimed the ninth major honour of his club career after Liverpool's Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
Deployed in the 80th minute as part of a triple substitution by Jurgen Klopp, the veteran midfielder helped take the game to extra- time and provided solidity to the midfield as Thomas Tuchel's side searched for a winning goal.
Milner was first up on penalties and made no mistake from 12 yards as he set the tone for a faultless shoot-out from Liverpool.
So often a dependable figure since his arrival in 2015, the 36-year-old is less of a regular starter these days but remains as committed as ever when selected to feature.
READ MORE: Why John Henry had to fly back to USA just hours after Liverpool celebrations
READ MORE: Gary Lineker makes Virgil van Dijk penalty claim after Liverpool win Carabao Cup
For many managers, Milner is a model professional due to his tireless work ethic and flexibility regarding starting positions, but who does the Yorkshire-born midfielder regard in high regard?
Asked to select his ultimate XI of past and present team-mates back in 2020, the former Manchester City man included four current members of Klopp's side and one Liverpool legend in the form of Steven Gerrard.
Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino all made the cut, though Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both missed out.
On selecting Alexander-Arnold, he told FourFourTwo : “Gary Kelly, Luke Young, Micah Richards, Glen Johnson: all great right-backs, but I see Trent becoming a great footballer and that’s why he gets the nod over the other four. That said, what he’s already achieved is so impressive."
Hailing the influence of Firmino, he added: "The lowest-maintenance footballer I’ve ever known. He simply works really hard, smiles and does everything that’s asked of him. His work-rate without the ball is something else, but his ability with the ball at his feet gets him into my line-up.”
Milner named Klopp as his manager while he picked Sadio Mane among his three substitutes.
Full XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Woodgate, Van Dijk, Cole; David Silva, Gerrard, Lampard; Firmino, Shearer, Aguero.
James Milner's Perfect XI first appeared in the January 2020 issue of FourFourTwo magazine
