sport news Liverpool stars pay touching and hilarious tribute to James Milner after ... trends now
Jordan Henderson has admitted his job as Liverpool captain would have been impossible without the influence of James Milner in a heartfelt tribute to the departing club icon.
The 37-year-old leaves the Anfield as a free agent, eight years after joining on a free transfer from Manchester City and has been tipped to join Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton.
To mark the departure of the Premier League’s third-highest appearance maker, a host of Liverpool players and Jurgen Klopp recounted touching anecdotes about the former England international in a video released by the club on Wednesday.
With several stressing Milner’s technical ability on the pitch, while others spoke of his ruthless, often hilariously punitive, policing of the dressing room.
‘I couldn’t have led the team like I have done without him,’ Henderson said. ‘It was sort of good cop bad cop a lot of the time.
James Milner made 230 of his 619 Premier League appearances during his time at Liverpool
Milner played his final game for the club in a 4-4 draw with Southampton on the Premier League's final day alongside Roberto Firmino with whom he joined in the summer of 2015
Jordan Henderson admitted to leaning on Milner for support when leading the squad
‘He’d say I was too soft and he had to be the one that was coming down on players but on the pitch, it was probably roles reversed.
‘It helped me so much to have him next to me and always be there for me when needed. And for me, I’ll probably miss him the most out of everyone.’
Milner’s consistency and versatility made him crucial to Jurgen Klopp as he sought to fashion the ailing side in his image during the 2015/16 season.
The midfielder’s commitment to the team was on full display during the 2016/17 season when, short of options in the squad, Klopp tasked Milner with playing at left-back for the entirety of the campaign.
The former Newcastle man
