Liverpool beat Newcastle United 1-0 on Saturday afternoon and Magpies boss Eddie Howe has hailed Reds veteran James Milner.
The Reds rotated their side given their immensely busy schedule and Milner was one of the players to come in.
Naby Keita may have scored the only goal of the game but Milner played a vital role in Liverpool’s winner.
Milner executed a superb sliding challenge on Fabian Schar to set Liverpool on the attack. The challenge earned huge praise from Don Hutchison even if some felt it was a foul.
Milner battled away admirably in Liverpool’s midfield throughout, producing a superb display in another Reds victory.
The 36-year-old continues to defy his age and turn in strong Premier League displays even at the age of 36.
Milner is out of contract this summer but he looks far from done in the Premier League. You can imagine Liverpool would want to keep him after displays like that.
Jurgen Klopp was effusive with his praise for Milner, and it’s one thing for the Liverpool boss to praise him.
Yet there was even praise from Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, who was left impressed with the experienced midfielder.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Howe suggested that he can tell from afar that Milner is one of the key leaders at Liverpool.
Howe was hugely impressed with Milner’s physical ability at the age of 36 and admitted that he has admired Milner for a long time.
“I see someone who is very, very professional and to come in and perform like that, particularly, physically at the age of 36 shows you how hard he works,” said Howe. “He is ready to play every single week because he is willing to do all the right things during the week.”
“You can tell he is one of the leaders of their team and that is all credit to him. He is someone I have always admired from afar,” he added.
Milner of course had a stint with Newcastle. The Magpies pounced to sign Milner from Leeds in 2004 but he never really fulfilled his potential on Tyneside.
After just 94 appearances for the club, Newcastle sold Milner to Aston Villa in 2008 and he was on the move to Manchester City just two years later.
A vital player in two juggernaut teams at the top of the Premier League, it’s clear that Milner has become a star after leaving Newcastle.
That has to be annoying, but if Howe loves Milner so much, maybe bringing him back on a free transfer this summer isn’t the worst idea…
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