Eddie Howe has lavished praise on James Milner after the veteran Liverpool midfielder put in an all-action display against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Saturday.
Milner played a key role in helping to create the only goal of the game, winning the ball in the centre of the park before Naby Keita went on to score. Newcastle's players strongly protested that the Reds' vice-captain had fouled Fabian Schar but replays showed that the tackle was clean.
The narrow victory keeps Liverpool's hot pursuit of Manchester City in the Premier League on course and also ended the Toon Army's four-game winning streak. And Howe, who has been credited for reversing the North East club's fortunes this season, had nothing but admiration for the qualities of former Magpie Milner.
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Newcastle boss Howe said: “I see someone who is very, very professional and to come in and perform like that, particularly, physically at the age of 36 shows you how hard he works. He is ready to play every single week because he is willing to do all the right things during the week.
"You can tell he is one of the leaders of their team and that is all credit to him. He is someone I have always admired from afar.”
Now in his seventh season at Anfield, 36-year-old Milner has made 22 Premier League appearances in the current campaign with 14 as a substitute. His man-of-the-match performance at St James' Park was his first start for Jurgen Klopp's side since a 2-2 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on January 2.
