When it comes to the renewal of Liverpool player contracts this summer, most of the talk will be about Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, as two of Europe's elite forwards reach a crossroads in their careers and subsequent stardom.
But while mega-money packages are offered, rejected and counter-offered, a one-year extension for one of English football's most decorated sons is on the table and as it appears he will sign it.
James Milner joined Liverpool on June 4, 2015 in a free transfer move from Manchester City. Having already won every domestic trophy possible with the Sky Blues, the feeling in some quarters was that Milner had moved to Anfield for more game time in a team that was not quite at the levels of the cash-rich Mancunians. Somewhere to begin to wind his career down, perhaps.
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Fast forward seven years almost to the day and Milner, now 36, has not only gone on to win more trophies with the Reds than he did at City, including the Champions League - a trophy that still eludes the Blue half of Manchester to this day - but he has also made more appearances for the Reds than any other club during his outstanding career.
During that seven-season period, Milner has performed a variety of different positions, including playing almost an entire term at left-back, and accepted his diminished playing role in a squad that has grown into arguably one of the top three in European club football that has challenged for honours on every front to the very end. Fit as a flea, he must also be one of the most low maintenance members of Jurgen Klopp's squad and the German manager has nothing but praise for his 'Mr Reliable'.
Having been out of the starting XI for a period of time, Milner produced a Man of the Match performance in a 1-0 away win against Newcastle United towards the end of the season, that impressed many but did not surprise his manager, who instead compared him to Real Madrid's Luka Modric.
“Outstanding. Milly is Milly. He’s incredibly important for us,” said Klopp after the game to German reporters. “People think we talk about dressing room and leadership. Yes it is helpful, it’s very helpful especially with a manager who isn’t a native speaker. But on the pitch as well, he played a super game.
“It would be interesting to look at Luka Modric. Is he not 36 as well? Obviously a good generation. It’s difficult to be fitter than Milly, he's a role-model. I told him, nothing that we have achieved in the last few years would have happened without James Milner. Easy as that. Whether he’s on the pitch or not. He stands out in a way not a lot of people can stand out. He’s educated all of us.”
Milner's remarkable fitness levels should come as no surprise, given his pedigree from an early age. He was the cross-country champion at his school for three consecutive years and the district champion over 100 metres for two years in a row. Always keeping standards high, he left school with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education.
Despite his diminishing playing time, Milner is still delivering the goods. Analysis from Opta’s Michael Reid shows that among players who’ve featured for at least 500 minutes in the 2021/22 Premier League season, Milner averages the most distance covered at 12.7 kilometres per game. Not bad for a 36-year-old.
But is offering the Yorkshireman a new deal taking up a vital squad place that could otherwise be used for fresh blood? In his time at Anfield, Milner has played central midfield, wide midfield, left-back and right-back. It is a level of versatility - and willingness to do the job - that sets him apart from his peers.
Should Mane and eventually Salah leave, they will be joining Divock Origi through the Anfield exit door and question marks remain over the future of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. That means an influx of new, younger players could arrive - and who better to learn the ropes from than a born leader like Milner? Fabio Carvalho is already certain to be one of them, and he may not be alone this summer. Milner's role will be vital as part of that 'transition' plan.
Liverpool's most successful free transfer boasts the honours list of an all-time great, but his modest standing is of an unsung hero. Quite literally. As common sense prevails and with Milner poised to seal a one-year contract extension to keep his remarkable Anfield tenure alive, it is high time the Kop rewarded Milner with a song befitting of his achievements for the club. No one could argue with that.
