It’s sad that James Milner wasn’t able to leave the club on a different day to Bobby Firmino as, despite him still receiving a warm send-off, he too deserved a half-hour chorus of his name after a brilliant Liverpool career.
Speaking with liverpoolfc.com, our vice captain was asked for his thoughts on his farewell appearance: “I’m Leeds through and through and always have been and always will be – but I never probably thought that another club would get into me as much as Liverpool has…
“I’ve been lucky enough to play here for eight years and ultimately the club belongs to the fans. I’ve been lucky enough to wear the No.7 shirt and [it] probably won’t be seen in the full-back positions again maybe!
“But hopefully I’ve filled the shirt with everything that a Liverpool player should”.
To hear how the 37-year-old has become so attached to the club is perhaps not a shock but also a real indication of how much we now mean to him, after eight seasons as a Red.
His jokes about filling it at full-back are typically light-hearted and understated but his selflessness should never be underestimated, with the utility man so often filling in positions that he probably didn’t want to be playing.
The iconic No.7 shirt has been worn by so many greats in our history and, although the Leeds-born veteran perhaps had a different role to others in the past to have adorned the jersey, he’s certainly been a worthy guardian of it.
With Brighton seeming to be his next footballing destination, it seems pretty certain that his Anfield days will be home of some of his happiest memories and for a club he played more games for than any other in his glittering career.
Farewell James, thank you and we’ll miss you.
Book Launch: Crossing the Park with Steve McMahon and Kevin Sheedy 🔴🤝🔵