Although there’s still the small matter of a routine medical to complete, Liverpool have confirmed that Manchester City midfielder James Milner will be moving to Anfield when his contract expires on July 1st. One only needs to do a quick survey of social media to find a number of detractors, but Reds attacker Adam Lallana is firmly rooted in the opposite camp and he isn’t afraid to make that known.
“James Milner is a fantastic player. He’s played his whole career in different positions,” he explained when asked about his England colleague in a recent interview with the official website. “He’s won so many caps, won titles and trophies with Manchester City and it’s great for Liverpool to sign someone like him. James is going to be a vital addition to the squad. He’s a complete role model.”
While a lack of playing time may be cited as one of the reasons he left the Etihad Stadium, in reality, Milner made 32-appearances in the Premier League last season, coming off the bench 14-times. Despite only completing 90-minutes on 11-occasions for the Citizens last year, the 29-year old bagged 9-goals and provided 5-assists as Manuel Pellegrini’s side finished runners-up to eventual champions Chelsea.
“He’s got unbelievable ability and sometimes people don’t appreciate that in the way they should. Left foot, right foot, got a goal in his locker and always fit. He’s the perfect player,” enthused the 27-year old midfielder. “It’s a big statement that he chose to come to Liverpool and shows that he’s got ambition. He could have easily stayed at City, but he chose us,” continued Lallana, putting things into perspective. “He’s versatile. He won’t kick up a fuss if he’s asked to play in a different position. It’s a team game and sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself for the team. For a player of his ability, to go on a free transfer, it doesn’t happen very often. It’s great Liverpool have persuaded him to come to us.”
