James Milner talks about Jurgen Klopp, tiny shin pads and whether he’s really boring

Kelly Somers: Well, James… good to see you. I always start these interviews by going back to the beginning. What would a young James Milner make of what she had achieved – becoming the all-time Premier League appearance record holder?

James Milner: Yes, I think it’s hard to say. I suppose when you’re at that age, you’re just trying to get into the first team, first of all… getting in there and staying there, and then: ‘What’s the next thing?’ It’s always, “What’s the next breakthrough?” And “never rest on your laurels” really. So, yeah, I definitely wouldn’t think too far into the future – let alone 20-odd years in the future and I think I’d still be playing.

Kelly: Was the whole thing quite surreal because there was a lot of understandable hype around it… You got to the record… when you were about to break it and the fact that you did. Was it very strange?

Milner: For me, yeah, obviously I get asked that a lot…

Kelly: I’m sorry to add to the list of people asking…

James: No, no… obviously it’s nice in terms of people recognizing that it’s a big number. It’s a lot of games, but I’ve just been focused on really doing my job for Brighton, and if I get to that number, then great. It wasn’t like I was like, “Oh, I need to do this.” Everyone has been asking a lot of questions about it and I think the narrative surrounding it is, this is the only reason I’m still playing, kind of. If you talk to me, or anyone who knows me, I just want to contribute to my team and keep pushing and help the club here.

There have been some nice tributes and things like that. Obviously the messages that I’ve gotten are… I don’t want to downplay them and make them seem unimportant or anything because obviously they’re very nice and some of the things that people have said are great… But for me, the individual stuff is something that you maybe look at when you’re done. For me, it’s always about the team and just doing your job, and hopefully I can continue to do that.

Kelly: So what is your first football memory?

James: The first football memory will be Leeds United winning the first division title [in 1991-92] My father took me into the hall and threw me down and said: Enjoy it, it may never happen again in your life. I would have been five years old at that point.

Kelly: Oh really? So, at that point you knew there was a Leeds for life?

James: Yeah, that was the first anniversary and then we started going to games and stuff after that. I had a season ticket, and yeah, I went from there.

Kelly: How about kicking a ball? Were you kicking her then? Did you show interest?

James: Yeah, I mean maybe. I can’t remember much of it. I remember playing my first ever match for the local team. It was Westbrook Juniors and we lost 16-2, and it was like a full-sized field, full-sized goals. You have to bounce back from that score!

Kelly: I love that it sticks in your mind – the actual score… exactly how many goals you conceded.

James: Yes, it happened. I played a season there and then that team stopped and then the next team I played in was under-12s – I think I was nine. And then I was scouted for Leeds.

Kelly: Which I imagine was the dream, wasn’t it… of your father raising you?

James: Yes, it was really strange because until that moment when I was a kid, I had never thought about becoming a footballer. Obviously you love football and I used to play football, but it never occurred to me that I could do it myself. Yeah, for whatever reason… I mean, you’re nine years old and you’re just a kid really. So, that was the first time and then I put on the Leeds training kit and tried it out and… obviously that was something special as a Leeds fan and that was the dream then.

Kelly: Do you remember your first training session at Leeds?

James: I remember my first training session with Al-Radeef. David Batty was on one side of me and there was another guy on the other side and I was like, ‘Oh my God’… it’s Batts… the legend! After I overcame that very quickly, I was sent to the first team.

I don’t know if someone was sent or if they needed a number and it was like: ‘Go try it out for the first team.’ You don’t have time to think about it when you’re involved. I just remember the speed of it. It was like, “Wow, this is ridiculous.”

I remember, like, ‘Welcome to the first team, kid.’ You get tested, and you get yelled at if you give up the ball. I remember breaking my nose during training. I got a very strong tackle from one of the younger players in the first team. I was 16, he was probably 20. I got kicked in the face on the ground and broke my nose and…that was one of the first days.

You have to be tougher and keep it going, but you know, the big boys were great… [Danny] Mills, Gary Kelly, and Mark Viduka. Alan Smith, you know, is someone I looked up to. He was the guy who came through the academy and scored with his first touch at Anfield and did what we all wanted to do.

Leeds Academy has been very good over the years, you know… Harry Kewell and [Jonathan] Woodgate, Paul Robinson, Alan Smith… the list goes on.

Looking back now, when I was 16, having just finished my high school exams and being in the first team, it was more like ‘ah’ but at the time, you were just focusing and trying to prove that you belonged there.

Kelly: 2002 was a pretty big year for you, wasn’t it really, in every way? Was it a first Premier League goal, a Premier League appearance…and I was very young.

James: Yes, I look back now and think how young I was. Three or four months ago, I was taking my GCSE exams and my mates were still in sixth form and came to watch at Elland Road.

Kelly: Can you remember your first goal?

James: Yes. I think I’ll come early for Harry Kewell’s sake perhaps. Jason Wilcox whipped it out and got it into the front post. Then we played two days later at Elland Road – we played 26th and 28th – and you know, we came in early again – another guy got injured – and he was lucky enough to score again.