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James Milner used to clean the boots of an under-18 footballer, and a reserve team player, even once he had made it into the first team at Leeds United. The veteran ex-England international has defied his age to enjoy one of the most successful careers of any player, winning every medal there is across a phenomenal 21-year top-flight career that is still going strong now.
After solid stints with Leeds, Newcastle United and Aston Villa, the no-nonsense Yorkshireman joined Manchester City in 2010, where he would win two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and League Cup.
His career appeared to be winding down when he departed City on a free transfer to Liverpool in 2015, but he went on to play a key role under Jurgen Klopp, winning the Reds’ first Premier League title in 30 years as well as the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup during an illustrious eight-season period.
Now 37, Milner is still going strong in the top flight with Brighton & Hove Albion and the secret to his longevity lies in hard work and respect for the process of trying to be the best version of yourself that you can.
His dedication to the cause was laid clear in a recent appearance on Jake Humphrey’s High Performance podcast, where Milner revealed that after breaking into Leeds’ first team when he was just 16, he was still cleaning the boots of the under-18s captain, even though he was playing at a higher level than him.
Milner said: “I was picking gear up off the floor even when I was in the first team at Leeds. After the games, in which I was scoring goals, I was helping the kit man until he gave me the nod and I felt like a million dollars and I felt like I was earning the right to be in this first team.
“I’m 16 years old, I’ve been in the academy. We got allocated players and because I was a first-year scholar I had under 18 players’ boots to clean, I had a ressies (reserves) player and a first-team player. I’m playing in the first team and I carried on cleaning the under-18 captain’s boots because you have to earn your right. He’s still older than me even though I’m playing in the first team.
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“I think that’s something that doesn’t happen now. Young players are very lucky that they are treated like professionals from the age of eight or nine/ten years of age and that’s brilliant.
“But I also think that the values I learnt from earning the right to be in that dressing room by doing the horrible jobs, doing the skips after the game and things like that, when the kit man turns around to you and says ‘go on, get on the bus’ you feel like you’re part of the team now. It makes you hungrier to push on again.”
Milner has made nine Premier League appearances for the Seagulls this season as well as four in the Europa League. Across his 21-year career, he has made 870 appearances in all competitions, scoring 84 goals.
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