"James Milner was the most dedicated and professional young player I've met. He also took the not inconsiderable transition from being at school to playing in the Leeds first team totally in his stride. Nothing fazed him. He was very level-headed. Back in those days, footballers used to have to share rooms during away trips and, at the time, Leeds had developed a mentoring scheme intended to support young players."
"It meant that my regular roommate, Harry Kewell, and I were split up. I was asked to room with James and Harry shared with Aaron Lennon. It was then that I realised what an incredible footballer and a person James is. People says he's boring but he isn't at all. It's just that he keeps out of the limelight. He's not interested in it. James never drank but, once he was old enough, he would always join us on squad nights out."
James Milner demonstrated exceptional dedication and professionalism as a young player, adapting seamlessly from school to Leeds' first team. He remained level-headed and unphased by early pressures. A mentoring scheme paired him with senior players during away trips, revealing his reserved nature and preference for privacy rather than limelight. Milner abstained from alcohol, choosing Ribena on nights out. He benefited from a supportive upbringing, pursued cricket alongside football, and retained links with his local cricket club. Milner reads the game intelligently, offers positional versatility, improvises when needed, and excels off the ball through effective tracking and positioning.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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