James Milner - The Football Interview

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1:10Make your travel dollars work harder. Follow Smart Travel on your favourite podcast app. The Football Interview on the Football Daily Podcast. I'm Kelly Summers and this season I'm interviewing some of the biggest names in football, asking them the questions they don't normally get asked as I try to find out more about the person behind the player. And this week's football interview is a slightly different one as we reflect on the incredible career of the Premier League's all-time record appearance holder, James Milner. Well, James, good to see you. I always start these interviews by going back to the very beginning.

1:46What would a young James Milner have made of what you have achieved becoming the Premier League all-time record appearance holder? Yeah, I think it's hard to say, I suppose. When you're that age, you're just trying to get in the first team at first and foremost, you know, getting in around there and staying there and then that's the next thing. And then it's always what's the next achievement and never rest on your laurels sort of thing, really. So, yeah, I definitely wouldn't be thinking too far ahead. never mind 20 odd years ahead and thinking I'd still be playing yeah. Has it all been quite surreal?

2:20Because there's been so much understandable hype around it, you getting to the record when you were going to break it and the fact that you have, has it been quite weird? For me I've obviously been asked about it a lot. Sorry to add to that. Which is obviously a nice thing in terms of people acknowledging it's a big number, it's a lot of games but I've just been concentrating on doing my job for Brian really and if I hit the number then great it wasn't something that I'm like I need to do this when everyone else asked asked lots of questions about it and I think the narrative around it then is like that's the only reason why I'm still playing sort of thing and for me like if you spoke to me or anyone knows I would just want to contribute to my team and keep pushing and helping the club here.

3:06There's been some really nice tributes and stuff like that messages I've had obviously which is I don't want to downplay those and sort of seem like it doesn't matter anything because obviously it's so nice and some of the things people have said is fantastic. But for me, you know, individual stuff, it's something maybe you look at when you're finished. For me, it's always about the team and just doing your job. And hopefully I can keep doing that. What is your first football memory then? First football memory would be Leeds United winning the first division title and my dad picking me up in the lounge and throwing me around and saying, enjoy, it might never happen again in your life.

3:46And I would have been five at that point. Oh, really? So at that point you knew it was Leeds for Life. Yeah, that was the first memory. And then we started going to games and stuff after that. I had a season ticket and, yeah, we went from there. What about kicking a ball then? Were you kicking it then? Yeah, I mean, maybe. I can't remember kicking much of it. I remember playing my first ever game for the local team. It was Westbrook Juniors and we lost 16-2. And it was like full-size pitch, full-size goals. You got bounced back from that, I suppose. I love that that stuck with you, the actual scoreline, exactly how many you conceded.

4:20Yeah, it has. Played a season there and then that team stopped and then the next team I played for was under 12, I think. I was nine. Then I got scouted for Leeds. Which I imagine was the dream, wasn't it? From your dad lifting you up. Yeah, I mean, it was weird really because until that point as a kid I'd never really thought about being a footballer. Obviously I loved football and I was playing football but it never crossed my mind or I could actually do it myself, yeah, for whatever reason. I mean you're nine years old and yeah you're just being a kid really. So that was the first time and then going and putting the Leeds training kit on and having a trial and obviously that was special as a Leeds fan and then that was the dream then.

4:56Can you remember your first training session at Leeds? I remember my first training session with the reserves. David Batty was one side of me and someone else was another. I'm like oh my god like that's like legend and and and getting over that and then pretty quick got shoved over the first team and you just got called over I don't know if someone got sent in or they needed a number and it was like go train with the first team and you don't have time to think about it and you get involved I just remember the speed of it it was like wow this is ridiculous and I remember like welcome to the first team kid like sort of thing you get tested you know you get showered out if you give it away I remember breaking my nose actually um in training I got a pretty strong tackle from one of the younger players in the first team, but he was maybe three.

5:39I mean, I was 16, so he was maybe 20. But yeah, I got kicked in the face on the floor and broke my nose. And that was one of the early days. And yeah, you got to toughen up and get on with it. But, you know, the senior boys were great. Millsy and Gary Kelly and Matt Viduka. And Alan Smith was, you know, the one I looked up to. He was the guy who come through the academy and scored with his first touch at Anfield and done what we all wanted to do. so he was there and Leeds Academy had been so great over the years you know Harry Cuell and Woodgate Paul Robinson the list goes on and looking back now at 16 I've been just done my GCSEs and then being with the first team it's like but at the time you just focused and trying to trying to prove that you belong there.

6:232002 was quite a big year for you wasn't it really with everything was it first Premier League goal Premier League appearance and you were so young Yeah, and like I say, I look back now and you think how young you were. Three, four months before I'd been doing my GCSEs and my mates, you know, still in the sixth form and coming to watch at Ellen Road and you're playing on Ellen Road. And then played a few games. Can you remember your first goal? Yeah, I think I'd come on early for Harry Kilmebby, limped out. Jason Wilcox whipped it across the front and I got in at the front post. And then we played two days later at Ellen Road, 26th, 28th we played.

6:57and came on early again, someone else got injured and was lucky enough to score again. Happened quite quickly. Yeah, so it was a bit of an explosion at that point, two goals in three days. Obviously Wayne Rooney was doing his thing before that as well in the same season too, 16-year-olds coming through at the same time. So as good as he was, I think that took quite a lot of pressure off me as well because there was a lot of limelight on him. Although I was doing okay, I think the majority of the spotlight was on him. So I think that would probably help me as well. Who was the best manager that you've played under?

7:35I mean, it's tough because obviously you'll go back to Terry and Sir Bobby and you think, like, absolute legends. And, you know, I'm so thankful to someone like Terry Venables who, in a team that wasn't doing particularly well, to have the confidence to stick a 16-year-old in. You go through the years and then, you know, you're looking at someone like Jürgen, who I think all round I'd have to say Jürgen in terms of as a man, as a character, you know, how he improved me, what I learnt from him, the relationship we had in terms of being able to say exactly what we thought and be taken in the right way and knew that we were both 100 % in everything we did.

8:17Did that sometimes result in any clashes? Yeah, now and then, not many. Not many, but it was a clash that he knew I wanted to win and he was the same. We didn't have any big clashes. He'd maybe tell me to shut up at times and things like that. But he knew I just wanted to help him and frustrated in whatever way and things like that. He was always done with respect, obviously. At times you'd come in at half-time and you'd expect to rock it and he was the opposite. He was really soft. And other times you'd be on fire and play really well and he'd come in and go mad over one little thing. just to keep on your toes.

8:53You know, 99 % of the time he got it bang on, didn't he? So, yeah, I think as an all-round manager, I think he was high level. And when he came in at Liverpool, we weren't by any means the favourites in the Premier League to win anything. So what he built there was special.

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11:15Goes for the corner. Mo Salah. Salah is more than just a player. He's an icon, a symbol, a king. It's 6-0 and Salah rips off his shirt. Mohamed Salah represents a dream for Egyptians, for Muslims, for Africans. More than just a football player, he gave us hope. I'm Kelly Cates. This is Sporting Giant's Mo Salah. Listen on BBC Sounds.

11:49What's one game I think we've established you've played a fair few that you wish you could relive? I think it's hard to do one I think the early first game first goal at Ellum Road the Chelsea game I think reliving that as a Leeds fan and not being that old and not playing for Leeds that much longer I'd love to experience that again. And I'd probably say it has to be Barcelona, I think, in the semi-final. Obviously, losing heavily in the first leg against a world-class team like Barcelona. And we had players missing on the night as well. I think to be able to turn that around and win 4-0 was an incredible night.

12:36and yeah I think that's probably my special evening. So that's the highs, what about the toughest moment? Yeah, being relegated with Leeds I think is up there again a long time ago but you wait so long to play for your home time club and the year before I made my debut I think we got to the Champions League semi-final so then a couple of years later to get relegated. I think any time you lose a final I've been fortunate to win some trophies but I've lost a few finals as well so that's never nice Is there one in particular that you look back on? I think Champions League finals when you lose them the first one Bale scores one of the greatest goals in the European Cup history I would say a flowed ball into the box bicycle kick in a game where where we just got back in, won all.

13:33In that time we had the team where you had that momentum and we were just dominating teams for 10-15 minute spells where the speed we put into the game was ridiculous and we could overwhelm teams and we had our backs up and the fans were with us. To do that goal it just killed the momentum of the game. And then the other Champions League final, where we played really well and they had a robotting goal and saved everything we chucked it in basically. So I think to lose European Cup finals is probably very low. Personally, probably last year was very tough, I think, with the injury I had and obviously the age you're at and not knowing what was going to happen.

14:16I think that was probably a really tough year. Did you ever think that would be it? Yeah, I think probably everyone did. The physio I was working with and people like that, I think, you know, to not be able to lift your foot for six months as a 39-year-old footballer, it's probably not the ideal scenario where you're going to turn around and say, yeah, you're going to be on fire next year and play games. So I think for me that was probably a driver that was so unlikely. You know, you want to prove again, prove you can beat the odds and luckily enough manage to do it. and it's great to be back out there this year and playing and being with the boys out on the field.

14:58I'm sure a lot of people like myself have come and tried to get you to reflect on everything since you've reached this landmark, but has it given you the opportunity to look back at just how much football has changed? And I want to know what maybe you don't like as much. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it has changed a lot. We've had a few conversations and topics around it. I think there was one earlier this year when we scored a goal in the Carabaugh, I think, and a few of the young boys had the tiny chimpanzees on. and I think people's gym pads now are that small because you can't really tackle whereas when I first come through, the first pass you got you know you're getting walloped from behind as a winger, the full-back's coming through your first one and he's saying, first one ref and it's like, yeah, right, and the first one's free and you could go in quite hard whereas now you have to be very careful you can still do obviously firm challenges but if you get the tiny bit wrong so I think obviously that's changed The range of pitches have changed.

15:53The pitches are obviously a lot better now. We used to have a period in November, December, January where it was a bit ropey and you might even be like keep it wide today lads and back passes wider the goal because it's bobbly. Obviously we're fortunate that's changed. On the not so fortunate side I would say in my opinion VAR coming in is obviously a big change and something that I'm not overly in favour of, but that's my personal opinion. I've also heard a fair few people talk about being at your 40th in January. Yeah. And it was like, who's who of football? Yeah, I mean, when you've played as long as I have and fortunate to play with so many good people.

16:35Yeah, it's tough to see each other as often, obviously, with the schedules and stuff. so it was great to get together and I mean that's the amazing thing in football and the strange thing that you can be so close with people and spend so much time travelling and going through ups and downs and successes together and you get really close and then one day a transfer happens and that's it, they're gone and you know what men are like as well, we're not great at keeping in contact with the odd message here and there and that's the strange part of it and then obviously people get older and retire and obviously a lot of people that I've played with now, you see them on TV every time you turn it on, I thought I played with him, played with him, played with him, played against him and he was horrible.

17:16What do you think they say about you? Yeah, who knows, who knows. But yeah, I think that's strange as you go through and you go to that process and you're coming close to that though. What's the one thing that people get wrong about you the most?

17:36I don't want to say it, but I'll probably say the boring thing, but maybe I'll have to cut that out because I don't mind. I don't mind them thinking. So it's all an act? Yeah, I think so, yeah. Have you kind of embraced that in a way? Yeah, I don't mind at all. We've had a laugh with it on social media and dived into it and stuff like that. Because you're not boring, are you? I'm told by quite a few people. Well, it's an opinion, isn't it? I suppose there's plenty who might think that. but yeah, you know, like it's been quite funny and there's been a lot of fun around it. I've had fun with it myself and yeah, I don't mind getting involved with the banter and the changing rooms and things like that.

18:13So people who know me will probably question it, but I'm more than happy people having that opinion. Tell me something about yourself that would surprise me. That you're not boring, don't say that. Started trying to learn how to play the piano the last few years. Okay, how come? I bought the kids a keyboard for Christmas. They went to bed and I started tinkering around on it and then a bit more and a bit more and then developed into, all right, let's get a piano and yeah, I went from there. Does that tell us a lot about your personality in terms of you can't just do something, if you're going to do it, you're all in and you've got to prove everyone wrong?

18:49Yeah, pretty much, yeah. I think if I'm doing something, I'm doing it to the best of my ability and having a good go. Are you any good? And what can you play? I wouldn't say I'm good, but I'm improving. play a bit of Elton John and Adele and things like that so yeah I'm okay but over the next few years maybe I'll have a bit more time where I can practice a bit more. What are you proudest of? I'd probably say the two things for me was being able to go to Man City who hadn't won anything for a long time and being part of that group that won the first trophies there and started this era of success and being part of that and then being able to go to Liverpool in a time where they hadn't won too much in recent history and being part of that success.

19:29I think being able to help two different teams start an area of success in their recent history, I think you're lucky if you can do that with one team and experience those things. I think to be able to do that with two, I think that's something I'm proud of and like I say, that's probably more me than an individual record. It's something that you've achieved as a group. How long can you go on for? I mean who knows things change very quickly in football and like say after last year where I couldn't lift my foot and especially when you get a bit older things change very quickly so and then football changes quick and I say who knows but how I feel currently I could probably do a few more years if I wanted to but it has to be the right.

20:09Do you want to? I feel physically and mentally I still have that drive and still I get looked after very well here the physios are fantastic knowing how to load me and the work and when to push and when to pull back so that's very good and helped me being the nick I'm in and touch wood be pretty good with injuries this year but again who knows what the club wants are they happy with me here and things like that so there's a lot of moving parts but I still feel pretty good And if not Premier League manager? Yeah I mean that's some days you think yeah that would be interesting and something I could be good at and other days you know you see how tough the job is, it's so difficult.

20:54Don't get a lot of time, dear, to stamp your mark on a team these days and things like that. So who knows, there's a lot of aspects that I've been fortunate enough to be around, you know, learning from Jürgen and then coming here and being involved in a lot of conversations. Last year when I was injured, the manager's been brilliant with me, including me in a lot of things and learning and thinking, you know, when you get to a certain age, you think so much more about the team than yourself and you're thinking about dynamics and personalities and when to give people a kick up their arse and when to put an arm round them and thinking how this will affect the team instead of just yourself and because I've played so long I feel like I've been in that period for quite a while.

21:33That's been a great learning curve but I know how hard he works and how hard you have to work and I think after playing for so long and having that intensity for so long I think the first thing is probably to have a bit of a rest of this. And finally, if you could tell a young James Milner one thing now, what would it be? I'd probably say enjoy it more, but I don't think it's possible. I think you're always pushing for the next game and the next win, so I'd probably say try and enjoy it as much as you can. And the young James Milner would probably say, no, let's get on the next one. Well, James, thank you so much for talking to us today.

22:10It was fascinating.

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