According to Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, his Anfield team-mate James Milner is “taken for granted” by the outside world.
After eight years of flawless service, Milner is scheduled to leave Liverpool this summer on a free transfer. Over the ensuing weeks, there will no doubt be many tributes paid to the 37-year-old, and in an interview with BeanymanSports, Henderson took the top honors.
“Extremely valuable to the team,” according to the 32-year-old of Milner. “We wouldn’t have accomplished anything without Milly, in my opinion, and the manager summed it up perfectly. It will be strange not to see him at Liverpool next season because he is such a big character and a big leader within the team.
“He has been outstanding ever since he joined the club. Along with other players nearby, he was a great help to me. From the outside, he’s probably a little bit taken for granted as a player, but on the inside, all of the other players and the staff hold him in the highest regard. Regardless of what his next chapter entails, we wish him the very best.”
All the best to Milly, and Liverpool will definitely have a new lactate test winner come pre-season!
Milner is prepared to bid Anfield adieu.
On his decision to leave Liverpool this summer, Milner has not yet spoken publicly. It will be interesting to hear the Yorkshireman’s thoughts on his time spent at the club.
But for the time being, he appears to be letting others speak for him.
The vice-captain’s departure from the stadium he has called home for almost ten years tomorrow could cause that to change. Expect to hear from the man himself after Liverpool have, hopefully, defeated Aston Villa by three points. He never shies away from a post-game interview.
Because there is still a football game to be won on Saturday, as Milly will no doubt be telling anyone who will listen. Although slim, the Reds still have a chance to finish in the top four. Anything less than a victory tomorrow and that probably won’t be the case anymore.
Should Milner get on the pitch – and given the circumstances you can’t imagine Klopp not bringing him on – it would be his 30th Premier League appearance this season. That’ll be the first time the veteran has hit that marker since the 2018/19 season.
As Henderson points out, figures of that nature only serve to confirm that he is still for Liverpool what he has always been: useful, significant, and underappreciated. Milner’s absence won’t be the same as before, but we’ll have to adjust.
