Arjun Menon
Jon Moss once sent off James Milner and the story still makes him laugh.
The former Premier League referee, who taught Milner at primary school, recalls the moment with a grin. “People joke that I only did it because he didn’t do his homework,” Moss says of the 2019 dismissal, when Milner then at Liverpool saw red against Crystal Palace. “We can both laugh about it now.”
Twenty-four years after his debut, Milner stands on the brink of a record. If he plays for Brighton against Crystal Palace this Sunday, he’ll equal Gareth Barry’s all-time Premier League appearance mark of 653. A career that began with £70-a-week wages at Leeds United now spans six top-flight clubs, 61 England caps, and trophies most players only dream of.
The Teacher Who Showed No Favourites
Moss wasn’t just any referee. He’d once been Milner’s teacher at Westbrook Lane Primary in Leeds. When he brandished that red card in 2019, it wasn’t personal just professional. “He said I couldn’t wait to get my card out,” Moss recalls. “People say I’m the only teacher to send off one of his pupils in a Premier League game.”
Milner, known as ‘Millie’ to those close to him, took it in stride. The same way he’s taken every twist in a career that refuses to slow down.
From YTS Chores to Premier League Debut
At 16, Milner was sweeping floors and cleaning boots even after scoring his first Premier League goal. Leeds United’s youngest-ever scorer at the time, he still had to help the kit man after a 2-1 win at Sunderland in 2002. “I was playing in the first team but still cleaning the under-18 captain’s boots,” he told the High Performance podcast. “He was older than me.”
His debut came six months after his GCSEs, a late substitute appearance in a 4-3 win at West Ham. His dad watched from the away end. For a boy who’d grown up idolising Tony Yeboah and Tony Dorigo, it was a fairytale start.
But the Premier League’s glamour didn’t last. Leeds sent him on loan to Swindon Town, then in League One. Some teenagers might’ve sulked. Milner saw it as a chance to prove himself.
“James was determined, driven and focused compared to some of the other young lads we had from Premier League clubs.”
Sam Parkin, former Swindon teammate
In four weeks, he played six games, scored twice, and left an impression. Parkin, his strike partner, still remembers the advice he gave him before Milner returned to Leeds: “I never want to see you back here because you’ve got too much quality for this level.”
The Souness Snub and a Career Reborn
Newcastle United paid £5m for Milner in 2004. Sir Bobby Robson was manager. Alan Shearer was captain. It should’ve been a dream move but Graeme Souness had other ideas.
“You won’t win the league with a team of James Milners,” Souness said, justifying Milner’s loan to Aston Villa. The remark stung. Milner would go on to win three Premier League titles.
By 2008, he’d left Newcastle for good, joining Villa permanently. Two years later, he faced a choice: Chelsea, fresh off a Premier League and FA Cup double, or Manchester City, a club starved of silverware since 1976.
He chose City. And within five years, he’d helped them win two league titles, an FA Cup, and a League Cup.
The ‘Boring’ Superstar Who Never Stopped
Micah Richards still denies creating the infamous ‘Boring James Milner’ parody account. “I swear, Millie, it’s not me!” he’d protest as Milner glared at him after each new post mocking his love of tea, ironing, and lawn-mowing.
Milner leaned into the joke. During lockdown, he posted a video of himself cutting his lawn with scissors. “He was one of the people who kept everyone going,” Richards says of Milner’s role in City’s 2012 title win. “Even when things weren’t going well.”
At Liverpool, he added a Champions League, another Premier League, and an FA Cup to his collection. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. There was the red card from Moss and the time Jürgen Klopp lost his temper at half-time. “I remember him smashing his hands down on the table and saying, ‘Will you shut up,’” Milner recalled. “But Jurgen was great. I had a great relationship with him.”
A Legacy Written in Numbers and Heart
Now at Brighton, Milner continues to defy time. At 40, he’s the Premier League’s second-oldest goalscorer, behind only Teddy Sheringham. His penalty against Manchester City earlier this season a nod to late Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota was his first Premier League goal in six years.
“I’ve not scored for six years and I was wearing his number,” Milner said, voice thick with emotion. “Obviously, I’ve got help from the great man.”
Paul Robinson, who played alongside Milner at Leeds, puts his longevity down to obsession. “It’s everything you do,” he says. “It’s how you walk around at home, it’s what shoes you wear, it’s how you sleep, it’s what pillows you sleep on.”
Will he play on when his Brighton contract expires this summer? Milner treats every game like it could be his last. He still remembers Nigel Martyn’s advice from 24 years ago: “Enjoy it while you can because it goes so fast.”
“Leave it out, Nige,” Milner had scoffed. “I’m 16!”
Now, he understands.
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