James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Brighton & Hove Albion. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full back.
Milner's talent in football, cricket, and long-distance running was recognised early. He represented Horsforth School in these sports and played football for amateur teams from Rawdon and Horsforth. He supported Leeds United from childhood, joining the Leeds Youth Academy in 1996. He made his debut for the first team in 2002 aged 16 and gained prominence as the youngest player to score in the Premier League, and later spent time on loan at Swindon Town to gain further first-team experience. After Leeds United were relegated at the end of the 2003–04 season, Milner was sold to Newcastle United.
Milner went on to make over 100 appearances for Newcastle United, winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2006, and spent a year on loan at Aston Villa, before signing for Aston Villa permanently in 2008. After winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2010, Milner was signed by Manchester City, and went on to win two Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, one League Cup and one FA Community Shield. Milner signed for Liverpool in 2015 on a free transfer, and was appointed vice-captain. He went on to win the UEFA Champions League in 2019, as well as his third Premier League title, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, and another FA Cup and EFL Cup title.
Milner made a record 46 appearances for the England national under-21 football team, playing at the 2007 and 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championships, finishing as runner-up in the latter. He won 61 caps for the full national team, scoring once against Moldova. He was selected for the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup squads, as well as the 2012 and 2016 UEFA European Championships.
Early life
James Philip Milner was born on 4 January 1986 in Wortley, Leeds. Milner played most of his childhood football for Westbrook Lane Primary School in Horsforth, where one of his PE teachers and coaches was future Premier League referee Jon Moss, who would give him a red card two decades later.
Milner was later educated at Horsforth School. Graeme Coulson, a coach from Rawdon, recognised Milner's talent and persuaded him to play for Rawdon in several tournaments, including a tournament at Rawdon Meadows, where Milner scored four goals in their victory in the final.
Milner was described as a "first class" student at his school; he left with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education. He played for the Yorkshire Schools cricket team, was the cross-country champion at his school for three consecutive years and was the district champion over 100 metres for two years in a row. He then completed his studies at Boston Spa School, a sports college which was a partner to the football club.
Milner supported his hometown club Leeds United from a young age. His earliest memory of the team was watching them win the FA Youth Cup in 1993. He and his parents, Peter and Lesley, were season ticket holders and Milner later became a ball boy for the club.
When Milner was 10 years old, he joined the Leeds United Academy after being spotted by a scout while playing for Westbrook Juniors in Horsforth. At the academy, Milner played against contemporaries from other clubs in Northern England, including future Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. His role model was Leeds-born Alan Smith, who was then a Leeds United striker. Milner believed playing with Smith put him through a learning curve, as Smith had done what Milner aspired to do in coming through the academy and playing for the first team. Having made good progress at the Academy, Milner was taken on as a trainee after leaving school. However, his father insisted that he attend college once a week to continue his education.
Milner continued to excel in the youth team, and played for England at under-15 and under-17 levels. He helped the England under-17 team win the 2002 Nationwide summer tournament against Italy, Czech Republic and Brazil, scoring a goal against Brazil.