James Milner’s most annoying trait has earned him a particularly unique parting gift from Liverpool staff.
The versatile midfielder will end his eight-year stint on Merseyside this weekend, with his contract coming to an end. Milner’s departure has already been confirmed with the Reds set to enter a new era under Jurgen Klopp.
After joining from Manchester City in 2015, the 37-year-old has won every domestic trophy available, including helping to end Anfield’s long wait for a Premier League title. His time at the club will come to an end this weekend, but he will leave the club with a piece of the training ground safely in his back pocket.
During his final week at Kirkby, Liverpool’s groundstaff arranged for Milner to take home a penalty spot - after destroying them over his long spell at the club.
Head groundsman Dave McCulloch and his team wrote: "To James, after eight years of destroying our pen spots! It's now time you looked after one yourself!
"Best of luck for the future, All the Groundstaff."
Milner posted an image of the present on his Twitter account, with the message: “What a gift that is! No pressure there then, I better get my scissors and pink ruler back out!”
Brighton are understood to be leading the race for Milner, although a return to boyhood club Leeds United could appeal - if they remain in the top flight. Regardless, he will leave Anfield as a modern-day great with Klopp heaping praise on the often underrated utility man.
He said: “Nothing positive that happened in the last seven and a half years would have happened without James Milner. I think I am the manager he played the most games for, and my English is not good enough to properly express the incredible respect I have for him.”
Milner looks back on his time at Liverpool in typically understated fashion, but admitted he has got exactly what he wanted from his time with the Reds.
“I'm fortunate now that we've managed to achieve what we have, and pretty much what I wanted to achieve when I came here. That doesn't happen too often, does it?" Milner said.
“I’ve been here for eight years - lucky enough to wear the number seven shirt here - and I don’t suppose it will be seen in the full back positions again!”
Milner added: “I wanted to come here and win trophies and have success. There weren’t too many trophies in the recent history before I came and it was like, 'Can you change that? Can you go and win a league title?'
“Let’s face it, the league was the one the fans wanted - it hadn’t been won for a long time and we knew they were desperate for it. To walk away now and know that's been done and achieved, that's amazing. And that's exactly why I wanted to come here and we've managed to do that.”
Along with Milner; Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all leave following the final game of the season, ahead of what promises to be a transformational summer window.
