The first pictures of James Milner in a Liverpool shirt have been revealed, with our summer signing revealing how thrilled he is to have joined the club and why he opted for us over Arsenal, as reported by LiverpoolFC.com.
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The former Manchester City man was hot property come the end of the 2014/15 season, having run down his contract and become a free agent. As the Express reports, we were battling with Arsenal for his signature. We ran out victors in the end though, and our reward can be seen in his new shirt below – with Milner handed the No.7.
PHOTOS: Here are the first shots of James Milner as an #LFC player… pic.twitter.com/ZwsStZOQEG
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 6, 2015
Milner claims first team football was one of the main drives behind his desire to make the switch to Merseyside, and insists he wants to play as much football as he possibly can heading into the twilight of his career.
He also states that the crowd at Anfield played a big role in his decision, and that he can’t wait to be on the receiving end of our chants for a change.
“It’s a great challenge for me. I want to play football and play more centrally if I can – and that’s where the manager said he sees me playing,” Milner said, as quoted by LFC.com.
“When I’m sat at 45 and retired, I want to look back and see what I’ve done and that I’ve played games, rather than having come to the end of my career and tailed off.
“Liverpool is a great fit for me as a club. It’s a huge club and there is a lot of pressure every time you step out onto that field.
“I’ve played in front of the Anfield crowd and it’ll be nice to be on the other side of the fans now!
“The atmosphere they create is fantastic and probably some of the best atmospheres I’ve played in in England, so to have them supporting me is definitely going to be an amazing feeling.”
To secure a player of Milner’s experience is fantastic in itself, and the fact that we got him on a free transfer makes it even better. He could play a huge part in what will hopefully be a successful 2015/16 season, and I for one can’t wait to see him step onto the pitch in red for the first time.