James Milner

The title of this article is ambiguous. Further meanings are listed under James Milner (disambiguation) .

James Milner
James Milner (2018)
Personnel
Surname	James Philip Milner
birthday	4th January 1986
place of birth	Horsforth ,  England
size	175 cm
position	Central / right midfield
Juniors
Years	station
1996-2002	Leeds United
Men's
Years	station	Games (goals) 1
2002-2004	Leeds United	48 0(5)
2003	→  Swindon Town  (loan)	6 0(2)
2004-2008	Newcastle United	94 0(6)
2005-2006	→  Aston Villa  (loan)	27 0(1)
2008-2010	Aston Villa	73 (11)
2010-2015	Manchester City	147 (13)
2015–	Liverpool FC	149 (19)
National team
Years	selection	Games (goals)
2001-2002	England U16	6 0(5)
2002-2003	England U17	11 0(8)
2003	England U19	1 0(0)
2003-2004	England U20	6 0(4)
2004-2009	England U21	46 0(9)
2009-2016	England	61 0(1)
1 Only league games are given. Status: end of season 2019/20

James Philip Milner (born January 4, 1986 in Horsforth ) is an English football player . The midfielder began his career in his hometown with English first division club Leeds United . There he scored a Premier League goal in December 2002 as the youngest player to date. Due to financial difficulties, he was sold to Newcastle United in 2004 . In the same year he played for the first time for the England U21 national team , whose record player he is with 46 appearances.

After a loan deal, Milner moved to Aston Villa for the 2008/09 season , where he made his breakthrough in central midfield . In his second season there, he was voted the best young professional in the Premier League, so that he was considered one of the hopes of the national team , for which he has been active since 2009. With the team he took part in the 2010 World Cup and led them as captain . In August 2010, he moved for a record fee to league rivals Manchester City , for whom he played thanks to an investment group in a team with numerous other stars. In the first season, however, the team only won the FA Cup , which did not meet the high expectations. For the 2015/16 season , Milner joined Liverpool FC .

Milner is considered to be a versatile player who, in addition to the headquarters, can also fill the external positions. His coaches particularly praise his will and his enthusiasm. He is considered a model professional of English football due to the additional training sessions he has completed, his alcohol abstinence and his comparatively reserved and intelligent nature.

Career

Youth and education

James Milner grew up in Horsforth , a borough of Leeds , in a middle class family ; his father worked as an accountant , his mother as a real estate agent . He attended secondary school in his hometown. In addition to starting his sporting career, his parents attached great importance to a school leaving certificate. As a result, he achieved very good academic results and completed his training with eleven GCSEs (comparable to the German secondary school certificate) with excellent grades. He received a special award for his athletic achievements, as he was also active in the sprint , endurance run and the school's cricket team .

At the age of nine he was registered with a youth team called "Westbrook Juniors" by his father, who also played football in the higher amateur level and promoted his son's playing career as much as possible. His coach, who realized the great potential, registered him in the sequence at larger junior tournaments in the area, whereupon he was discovered at one of these by a scout from the local first division club Leeds United . At the age of 10 he was accepted into the club's youth academy. In addition, he had been a Leeds United fan since childhood, his parents had season tickets and he was already a ball boy himself at the stadium.

During his time at the academy, he was significantly influenced by the club legend Eddie Gray , who worked as a youth coordinator during this time. Milner himself was based heavily on his role model Alan Smith , who also comes from the youth of Leeds United. He also played during this time against later national team colleagues such as Wayne Rooney . After he had finished his school career, he came increasingly into the focus of head coach Terry Venables . Self-reflecting, Milner reported from his youth that his father in particular had given him great support on his way to becoming a professional.

Leeds United

After playing for England's U-15 and U-17 national teams, he made his Premier League debut against West Ham United on November 10, 2002 when he came on for Jason Wilcox in the last six minutes has been. On Boxing Day of the same year, in a 2-1 win over Sunderland AFC , he also became the youngest player in history to score a goal in the Premier League. However, this mark was undercut two years later by Everton's James Vaughan .

After a goal against Chelsea in January 2003, his coach Claudio Ranieri was impressed by Milner's qualities, so that he continued to be in the focus of the media, which already compared him to the equally aspiring Wayne Rooney or the young Michael Owen . After further convincing performances for the Peacocks , he signed a five-year contract in February 2003. In order to give him further match practice in the following years, they agreed with the third division club Swindon Town at the beginning of the 2003/04 season a one-month loan deal. In his six appearances there he managed one goal each against Peterborough United and Luton Town .

As the season progressed, however, the club began to face enormous financial difficulties. Moving into the semi-finals of the Champions League 2000/01 tempted President Peter Ridsdale to take out generous loans, which were to be repaid by marketing the television rights for the coming Champions League seasons. The team, however, missed qualifying in the following two seasons by one table rank, so more and more key players had to be sold, including Rio Ferdinand , Mark Viduka and Jonathan Woodgate . This flushed money into the club's coffers, but made the team no longer competitive, which in 2004 meant relegation to the Football League Championship . As a result, further austerity measures had to be taken, so that Milner was finally up for sale.

Tottenham Hotspur was considered a prospect, but Milner turned down his offer because the club was too far from his home. Milner himself did not want to leave his hometown club, but financial aspects were in the foreground, so that he finally moved to Newcastle United for £ 3.6 million "in the interests of the club", according to Milner himself . He signed a five-year contract with the Magpies .

Newcastle United

Milner in the jersey of Newcastle United (2007)

Newcastle coach Bobby Robson justified the commitment of the midfielder with the lack of competition for Laurent Robert on the left wing because you "never knew what to expect from him [Robert] ".

Milner made his first appearances for his new team on the preparatory tour of Asia against Thailand and against Kitchee SC , against whom he scored his first goal. During this trip he learned a lot about dealing with the media, especially from his teammate Alan Shearer . Milner had his first league appearance on August 18, 2004 against Middlesbrough FC , where he played in this game for the first time on the right wing and not, as usual from his time in Leeds, on the left. With the 2-0 win over FC Bnei Sachnin in the UEFA Cup , where he came on for Shola Ameobi , he also made his debut at international club level.

During his time in Newcastle, he made the acquaintance of rugby union star Jonny Wilkinson , who was under contract with the Newcastle Falcons . Wilkinson trained with him more often and became his role model in terms of willingness to train and commitment.

While he was called up in all games under Robson, who was released a month after the start of the new season, in the starting line-up, his status in the team changed with his successor Graeme Souness . Milner only had short appearances under the Scot until December 2004, while he had to wait until April 2005 for his first game to be played through. As this decision to give Milner less game practice was controversial, Souness took a clear stand by stating that "you wouldn't win anything with a team full of James Milners". Milner then replied that he was frustrated, mostly only coming on as a substitute.

So it finally came at the beginning of the 2005/06 season to the loan of Milner, who was loaned to league rival Aston Villa for a year with Newcastle's commitment from Nolberto Solano in the opposite direction .

Aston Villa (loan)

In Birmingham he met coach David O'Leary , who had already coached him during his time at Leeds United. O'Leary openly expressed his delight at signing Milner and said he hoped to keep improving him.

On September 12, 2005, Milner made his Premier League debut for the Villans against West Ham United , while just five days later he scored his first goal against Tottenham Hotspur . In the second round of the League Cup against Wycombe Wanderers, he helped his team to a spectacular 8: 3 victory with two goals, while they were still 1: 3 behind at half-time. Despite a rather disappointing season for Aston Villa, Milner praised the quality of the team and confirmed that he would like to be active for Villa beyond the loan business . Coach O'Leary also confirmed that he wanted to tie Milner to the club in the long term. He even turned down Robert Huth's engagement in order to have the necessary financial resources available in the event of a Milner engagement.

In Newcastle, however, the new coach Glenn Roeder was in office, who was equally convinced of Milner's qualities and was clearly in favor of staying with the Magpies . In addition, Aston Villas transfer budget was limited in the summer of 2006 and a player swap from Gareth Barry to Milner was rejected. However, when David O'Leary was dismissed in the course of the takeover of the club by billionaire Randy Lerner and Martin O'Neill was announced as his successor, far more financial resources were available again, so that a change was more likely. While Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd had already agreed to an offer of £ four million and the media reported the transfer, coach Glenn Roeder finally refused the sale of Milner. Villa coach O'Neill then criticized the club management for the transfer behavior.

Return to Newcastle

Coach Glenn Roeder confirmed at the beginning of the new season that he was very satisfied with Milner's whereabouts. However, as the winter transfer period approached, rumors of an impending move surfaced again, but Milner got rid of them himself.

In the league, the season was rather disappointing for the Magpies , but they were able to prevail in the group stage of the UEFA Cup . Milner himself only scored his first league goal in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United in January 2007, but another two followed in the next few weeks, all of which were scored from a greater distance and Milner thus both his two-footed shooting technique and his goal hazard from the second row Proof provided. His goal danger was also promoted by the measure to use him for the first time in central midfield. Due to the above-average performance that he regularly showed both in the club and in the national team, the club management extended his contract early for another four years. His athletic development was further advanced with the hiring of Sam Allardyce as the new trainer of the Magpies , as Milner spoke of the "best training units" he has ever completed. Allardyce himself saw Milner's development also positive, but he spared him at the beginning of the 2007/08 season by letting him play primarily as a substitute, as Milner was exposed to a heavy load with 52 competitive games in the past season.

After he had scored the 500th Premier League home goal for Newcastle in October 2007, he seriously injured his ankle in March 2008 and was out for the rest of the season. After rumors of an imminent move to Liverpool began again at the beginning of the summer transfer period , Milner himself expressed the desire for a new contract that reflects his value to the club. After he had already played for the Magpies in the new season , the club management did not comply with his request, so Milner submitted a transfer request.

Aston Villa

Milner in training at Aston Villa (2009)

On August 29, 2008, his former club Aston Villa signed Milner. He signed a four-year contract with Villa, paying a £ 12 million transfer fee, the highest transfer fee in the club's history. In retrospect, Milner criticized Newcastle's management because the offers received and the transfer fee paid in the end were in a strong disproportionate to his paid salary, so that he did not feel valued by the club. Nonetheless, he spoke of a time in Newcastle when he “loved every minute” and had a good relationship with coach Sam Allardyce. For Villa coach Martin O'Neill it was the eighth signing this summer, where he invested a total of £ 48m and players like Carlos Cuéllar and Emile Heskey joined the team.

Milner's first appearance after signing was as a substitute in the 0-0 draw against Liverpool . In the course of the season he developed into a regular at Aston Villa, so that he did not go unnoticed by national coach Fabio Capello and finally belonged to the Three Lions squad for the first time in the 2-0 defeat against Spain . After the recovery of Stewart Downing , who co- occupied the flanks with Ashley Young , Milner was continuously deployed at the center alongside Captain Stilian Petrow from December 2009 . Through this change, he increased his statistics from three goals and nine assists in the previous season to seven hits and twelve preparations. This increase in performance is considered to be equivalent to its absolute breakthrough. His high performance was honored with the election to England's Young Professional of the Year and with the placement in the Premier League team for the 2009/10 season. Furthermore, he reached the league cup final with his team , in which Milner scored 1-0 himself, but in the end Manchester United had to be beaten 2-1. Milner himself admitted that it was thanks in particular to the stability in the club that he performed well, as he has played under a total of 13 different coaches in the course of his career so far. After his most convincing season so far, Milner was voted Player of the Season by Villa fans and his goal against Sunderland AFC was named Goal of the Year at the club.

After a total of 100 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa (including loan), league rival Manchester City , which has made numerous major investments in players since it was taken over by an Emirati investment group, offered Milner £ 20 million in transfer in May. The club management refused this offer. After coach O'Neal had denied any transfer negotiations, it was Milner himself who expressed the wish for a transfer to Manchester. As a result, Villa agreed to the move but asked for a £ 30m transfer fee. After a last use in the first game of the season against West Ham United , in which he scored himself, he was passed by the supporters with frenetic cheers.

Manchester City

Milner in the Manchester City shirt (2012)

Following this, Manchester City announced the midfielder's signing of a deal that would earn him more than double his previous salary and tie him to the club for five years. The terms of the deal also included the move from Stephen Ireland to Aston Villa, bringing the total value of the transfer to an estimated £ 26m. The Milner sale would be linked to the highest transfer proceeds in Aston Villa's history. Milner was just one of the club's numerous summer 2010 commitments, including David Silva , Yaya Touré and Mario Balotelli . In total, the club spent around £ 150 million on new entrants. The goal was made clear by coach Roberto Mancini in his first conversation with Milner by saying he should prepare to win the Premier League.

Milner made his debut for the new club on the very next match day in his team's 3-0 win over Liverpool FC . He was an assist for his former teammate Gareth Barry . In the course of the season, the midfielder came across all competitions on 42 missions, but the claims of the coach to win the league title were not met; you finished third. However, the team won the FA Cup in the final against Stoke City , which Milner came to the first title win of his career.

In the 2011/12 season , the team failed in the group stage of the Champions League and in the third round of the FA Cup . In the 2-1 win over Liverpool FC on December 26, 2013, James Milner made his 100th league game for Manchester City before the Citizens celebrated their first championship since 1968 and coach Mancini kept the promise he made Milner gave up at the beginning of his time in Manchester. After the following season 2012/13 , which ended Manchester City without a title, Roberto Mancini was fired and Manuel Pellegrini was introduced as the successor to the position of head coach. In addition, large investments were again made in the squad, including Jesús Navas , Fernandinho , Stevan Jovetić and Álvaro Negredo .

Despite the constant top-class competition in midfield, Milner also enjoyed the confidence of the new coach Pellegrini, so that with 31 games he even made five appearances more than in the two previous seasons. As a result, he again had a significant share in the second championship title, which he won with the Citizens at the end of the 2013/14 season .

Liverpool FC

On July 1, 2015, Milner moved to Liverpool on a free transfer , where his coach Brendan Rodgers preferred to use him in central midfield. On the third match day against Arsenal, Milner led his team onto the field as captain on behalf of Jordan Henderson . This office he held in the following games until Henderson was able to return on Matchday 14 after his injury. Under his new coach Jürgen Klopp , Milner mostly played on the right or left wing. In the league he got five goals and 11 assists. In addition to 28 appearances in the Premier League, Milner was used in 12 games in the Europa League . In the 4: 3 win against Borussia Dortmund on April 14th, he managed two assists, so he had a big part in the successful comeback after Liverpool were already 3-1 back. Milner played the final defeat against FC Sevilla as captain.

Milner reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2018 and 2019 with Liverpool . While they lost 3-1 to Real Madrid in Kiev in 2018 , they won the title a year later in Madrid with a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur . On December 13, 2019 Milner extended his contract with the Reds until summer 2022. In December 2019, Milner and Liverpool won the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup against Flamengo Rio de Janeiro 1-0 after extra time. In the same season he was English champion with Liverpool FC.

National team

Juniors

After Milner had already represented at the U-17 European Championship in 2003 and failed with the team in the semifinals against eventual winners Portugal, coach Les Reed appointed him to the squad for the U-20 World Championship in the United States at the age of 17 United Arab Emirates . In the preliminary round there, he remained without commitment. After only six more games for the U-20s , in which he scored four goals, he was ordered by coach David Platt to the U-21s , in which he finally made his debut on March 30, 2004 against Sweden . In the course of qualifying for the U-21 European Championship in 2007 , Milner scored his first goal for the Young Lions in the game against Wales , especially since he was used in this game for the first time in central midfield, similar to what was the case in his clubs. The team managed to qualify for the European Championship in 2007, in which they were eliminated in the semifinals against the Netherlands in a 12:13 penalty thriller. Milner scored twice on the point and was able to convince throughout the tournament, so that senior national team coach Steve McClaren considered using him in a friendly against Germany . In the end it was not taken into account for the time being.

Milner completed a total of 46 games for England's U-21s, the large number being due to his low age at the start of the team. He also holds the record for most appearances by a player for the Young Lions . In this context, a "curse" has already been reported in the media, which overtook some players with many appearances in England's junior teams. He was predicted the same fate as, for example, Jamie Carragher or Scott Carson , who never made a breakthrough in the senior national team after a promising junior career. He played his last game in the final of the U-21 European Championship in 2009 , in which the team lost to Germany 4-0.

Seniors

James Milner in the match between France and England at Euro 2012

The midfielder made his debut in his country's senior national team on August 12, 2009 when he set up the final score in a friendly against the Netherlands with a 2-2 draw with Jermain Defoe . With the team he took part in the finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa , where he was on the starting line-up in the opening game, but was still substituted in the first half. In the following group game against Algeria , Gareth Barry was preferred in the central midfield, while Milner himself was used again in the last group game against Slovenia and prepared Defoe's 1-0, which was decisive for advancement. Coach Capello also used him in the subsequent round of 16 against Germany , but Milner was substituted after an hour and the team eliminated with 1: 4. In November 2010 he wore the captain's armband for the first time after the regular captain Steven Gerrard was substituted in the game against France .

With the Three Lions he qualified for the Euro 2012 and was in the starting line-up in all four games, before they failed in the round of 16 after penalties at the eventual finalist Italy . In the following years, Milner remained an integral part of the national team, played regularly and is in England's final 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil .

At the European Football Championship in France in 2016 , he was included in the English squad . His only use was the substitution in the final minutes of the opening game against Russia. On August 5, he announced his resignation from the national team.

Style of play

Milner is seen as the classic midfielder who is able to put his teammates in the limelight with precise passes. He can act on the wing as well as in the center , whereby he can also take on the role of right-back in the event of personnel shortages. He is generally considered to be a two-footed player who achieves a high level of precision with both right and left when making passes and shots. In his previous clubs he is often responsible for the execution of set pieces, which also gave him the reputation of a good preparer. Both in regular time and on penalties , Milner shows great accuracy from the point. His former coaches also attribute a high willingness to run and the necessary aggressiveness in duels.

In the psychological area, he is particularly praised for his game overview and intelligence, which is outstanding. In addition, Milner is considered a very fair player who was not sent off in 400 appearances across all competitions. The midfielder is often referred to as a prime example of a football professional who impresses with great enthusiasm and willingness to train. His Newcastle coach Glenn Roeder described his training behavior as follows:

“Most professional footballers […] know they could have worked harder and been better but not James. Frank Lampard is the only other player I've managed who does as much extra training. "

- Most professional footballers […] know that they could have trained harder and been better, but not James. Frank Lampard is the only player I coached who gets that much extra training.

His U-21 coach Peter Taylor said he had problems getting him out of the gym. Milner has also abstained from alcohol since his youth .

successes

with Manchester City

• FA Cup : 2011
• Premier League : 2012 and 2014
• FA Community Shield : 2012
• English League Cup : 2014

with Liverpool

• UEFA Champions League : 2019
• UEFA Super Cup: 2019
• FIFA Club World Cup 2019
• Premier League : 2020

Personally

• PFA Young Player of the Year : 2009/10
• Premier League Team of the Year : 2009/10
• Team of the tournament: U-21 European Championship 2009

Web links

Commons : James Milner  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• James Milner in the soccerbase.com database
• James Milner , profile on the Manchester City homepage (English)
• James Milner , international match statistics on the homepage of the English Football Association (English)
• James Milner - Star of the old school , biographical article on yorkshirepost.co.uk, June 18, 2010 (accessed September 27, 2012)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ See his profile on the Liverpool FC website
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} yorkshirerepost.co.uk: "James Milner: Star of the old school" (accessed January 31, 2012)
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e} telegraph.co.uk: "James Milner keeps feet on the ground" (English, accessed January 31, 2012)
4. ↑ thetelegraphandargus.co.uk: "James is the latest teenage soccer hero" (accessed February 19, 2012)
5. ↑ ^{a b c d} ozwhitelufc.net.au: Profile in Leeds United History (English, accessed on February 2, 2012)
6. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "The Premiership's youngest guns" (accessed January 31, 2012)
7. ↑ guardian.co.uk: "Magical Milner" (accessed January 31, 2012)
8. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Milner signs Leeds deal" (accessed January 31, 2012)
9. ↑ bbc.co.uk: Match report Swindon - Peterborough (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
10. ↑ bbc.co.uk: Match report Swindon - Luton (accessed January 31, 2012)
11. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Milner plots Leeds deal" (accessed January 31, 2012)
12. ↑ ^{a b} Barry J. Hugman: The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–2011 , Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh 2010, ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0 , pp. 289f.
13. ↑ ^{a b} bbc.co.uk: "Magpies land Milner" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
14. ^ Bobby Robson, Paul Hayward: Farewell but not Goodbye. , Hodder & Stoughton, ISBN 0-340-82346-1 , p. 271
15. ↑ skysports.com: "Robson delight at Milner impact" (accessed January 31, 2012)
16. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} guardian.co.uk: "Aston Villa's James Milner: a future England captain" (accessed January 31, 2012)
17. ↑ skysports.com: "Milner's Magpies hope" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
18. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Solano makes return to Newcastle" (accessed January 31, 2012)
19. ↑ skysports.com: "O'Leary to improve Milner" (accessed on January 31, 2012)
20. ↑ skysports.com: Match report Aston Villa - Wycombe Wanderers (English, accessed February 2, 2012)
21. ↑ skysports.com: "Milner upbeat for Villa" (accessed January 31, 2012)
22. ↑ skysports.com: "Milner waits on future" (accessed January 31, 2012)
23. ↑ skysports.com: "O'Leary expects to lose Milner" (accessed January 31, 2012)
24. ↑ skysports.com: "Villa out of Huth chase" (accessed January 31, 2012)
25. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Milner move to Villa is in doubt" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
26. ↑ skysports.com: "Villa no to Barry-Milner swap" (accessed January 31, 2012)
27. ↑ skysports.com: "Magpies call Milner back" (accessed January 31, 2012)
28. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "O'Neill upset over Milner episode" (accessed January 31, 2012)
29. ↑ officialplayersites.com: "Sol hails return of young gun Milner" (accessed January 3, 2012)
30. ↑ skysports.com: "Milner expects Toon stay" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
31. ↑ ^{a b} skysports.com: "Roeder hails dynamic Milner" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
32. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Milner signs new Magpies contract" (accessed January 31, 2012)
33. ↑ icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk: "Milner is Sam happy player" (accessed January 31, 2012)
34. ↑ sportinglife.com: "MILNER BURNOUT NOT AN OPTION" (accessed on January 31, 2012)
35. ↑ Milner's profile on transfermarkt.de (accessed January 31, 2012)
36. ↑ lep.co.uk: "Milner in shock Anfield move" (accessed January 31, 2012)
37. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Milner transfer demand sparks row" (accessed January 31, 2012)
38. ↑ skysports.com: "PFA backing client Milner" (accessed January 31, 2012)
39. ↑ ^{a b c} guardian.co.uk: "Milner: I was undervalued by Newcastle and had to leave" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
40. ↑ ^{a b} bbc.co.uk: "Aston Villa seal Milner transfer" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
41. ↑ Barry J. Hugman: The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009-2010 Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh 2009, ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0 , p. 287
42. ↑ bbc.co.uk: Match report Aston Villa - Liverpool (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
43. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Milner praises impact of O'Neill" (accessed January 31, 2012)
44. ↑ Profile on eliteprospects.com ( Memento of the original from October 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed February 3, 2012) 
45. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Rooney is PFA player of the year" (accessed February 2, 2012)
46. ↑ bbc.co.uk: Match report Aston Villa - Manchester United (English, accessed on February 2, 2012)
47. ↑ guardian.co.uk: "James Milner makes most of England chance after his long wait" (accessed January 31, 2012)
48. ↑ astonvillacentral.com: "End of Season Awards" (accessed February 2, 2012)
49. ↑ avfc.co.uk: "James Milner: Biography" ( Memento of the original from August 25, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English, accessed February 2, 2012) 
50. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Aston Villa reject Manchester City bid for James Milner" (accessed on January 31, 2012)
51. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Villa boss Martin O'Neill denies James Milner exit talk" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
52. ↑ skysports.com: Video interview with Martin O'Neill (accessed January 31, 2012)
53. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Aston Villa boss O'Neill prepared to sell Milner" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
54. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Villa boss O'Neill faces losing Milner to Man City" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
55. ↑ bbc.co.uk: "Kevin MacDonald defends decision to pick James Milner" (accessed January 31, 2012)
56. ↑ ^{a b c} bbc.co.uk: "James Milner completes his transfer to Manchester City" (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
57. ↑ guardian.co.uk: "Manchester City agree deal to sign James Milner from Aston Villa" (accessed January 31, 2012)
58. ↑ bbc.co.uk: Match report Manchester City - Liverpool FC (English, accessed on January 31, 2012)
59. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3110643/James-Milner-signs-Liverpool-free-transfer-rejecting-Manchester-City-terms.html
60. ↑ Liam Grace: James Milner signs Liverpool contract extension until 2022. In: skysports.com. December 13, 2019, accessed December 13, 2019 . 
61. ↑ FIFA Club World Cup 2019 , match report on soccerway.com, accessed December 21, 2019
62. ↑ uefa.com: Match report Portugal U-17 - England U-17  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English, accessed February 2, 2012)  
63. ↑ FIFA data sheet for the 2003 Junior World Cup, PDF
64. ↑ thefa.com: Match report Sweden U-21 - England U-21 ( Memento from April 4, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) (English, accessed on February 2, 2012)
65. ↑ thefa.com: Match report England U21 - Wales U21 ( Memento from February 10, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) (English, accessed on February 2, 2012)
66. ↑ weltfussball.de: Match report Netherlands U-21 - England U-21 (accessed on February 2, 2012)
67. ↑ newcastleutd-mad.co.uk: "Taylor And Milner To Be Part Of 'Huge Squad'?" (Accessed February 2, 2012)
68. ↑ ^{a b} uk.eurosport.yahoo.com: "Milner battles Under-21 curse" ( Memento from August 23, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (English, accessed on February 2, 2012)
69. ↑ ^{a b} goal.com: "Under-21 Final Defeat - James Milner" (accessed February 2, 2012)
70. ↑ bbc.co.uk: Match report Netherlands - England (English, accessed on February 2, 2012)
71. ↑ bbc.co.uk: Match report England - USA (accessed February 2, 2012)
72. ↑ fifa.com: Match report Algeria - England (accessed on February 2, 2012)
73. ↑ fifa.com: Match report Slovenia - England (accessed on February 2, 2012)
74. ↑ fifa.com: Match report England - Germany (English, accessed on February 2, 2012)
75. ↑ thefa.com: Match report England - France (accessed February 2, 2012)
76. ↑ bbc.com: "World Cup 2014: England name Ross Barkley in squad" (English, May 12, 2014, accessed June 2, 2014)
77. ↑ thefa.com: "James Milner retires from international football"
78. ↑ dailymail.co.uk: "James Milner puts himself forward to go back into defense for England boss Fabio Capello" (English, accessed on February 2, 2012)
79. ↑ transfermarkt.de: Milner's performance data (accessed on February 2, 2012)
80. ↑ icnewcastle.co.uk: "Milner: I've hated the long wait" (accessed February 2, 2012)