For the first time, Jurgen Klopp was talking about James Milner in the past tense; or the past conditional, anyway. It wasn’t because, as Liverpool midfielders go, Milner is rather closer in age to Steve McManaman than Stefan Bajcetic. Rather, it was because Milner will soon consign himself to Liverpool’s past. “I would have loved to work together with him for even longer,” said Klopp, with a hint of wistfulness.
It was not quite a formal announcement, but there is now confirmation that Milner’s Liverpool careeer only has only two games left to run. The 37-year-old will leave Anfield at the end of the season, with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also departing at the end of the contracts. Milner seems destined for Brighton and the chances are, that in pre-season training in Sussex, the distance running tests will be won by a man who played Premier League football with Nigel Martyn and against David Seaman.
