Liverpool have a few more hours to go before their tilt against Nottingham Forest, but the fixture list on Saturday brought some fans – and current players – joy in the form of James Milner setting the all-time appearance record in the Premier League. England’s new Iron Man takes the mantle from former teammate Gareth Barry as the new mark to beat is 654 and counting.
Liverpool fans still have a lot of love for James Milner, whose time at Anfield coincided with the club’s first Premier League title ever – and first top flight title in 30 years. But besides the gauzy gaze of fantastic results, Milner’s consistency and willingness to do whatever was needed for the team are parts of what make him a long-standing fan favorite.
In fact, testimonies that poured in from all over were quick to highlight these things. For example, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp highlighted Milner’s willingness to hear him out and lean into trust to guide him into playing at fullback. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Klopp reveals that it took Milner some convincing and that, even though he did not necessarily want to play those roles, the Englishman took to them and delivered professional performances.
Klopp himself thinks that willingness to adapt and, in the end, find hiw way to the pitch by any means necessary helped to extend Milner’s career and ensure he would have a chance at setting this prestigious record. One can only imagine what might have happened, a sliding doors moment, if Milner had said no.
And perhaps that is part of what separates elite athletes from the rest of us: a drive to do whatever it takes, including adapting to unfamiliar positions just for the chance to keep playing this wild game.
Feel free to drop your favorite Milly moments below and watch the full interview from Jurgen Klopp embedded here.
