Former Man City figure praises James Milner's professionalism

Former Manchester City sports therapist Paul Webster has praised James Milner for the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch, and has said how that allows the midfielder to keep playing at the highest level.

Milner turned 36 last week and though he does not play every game for Liverpool, he certainly looks sharp and ready when he is called upon.

Indeed, in the current climate it's always important to have someone like Milner available for selection and Webster has praised him for the way he looks after himself, comparing him to the levels of Cristiano Ronaldo:

"It’s the little things that he does every day that make up a whole package," Webster said to Goal.

“When I see him play now, it's like time hasn’t moved on; he's like he was 10 years ago.

“James is probably a little bit more pedantic in his food and his drink and what he does in his general lifestyle, but that's not to take anything away from some of the other players that would come in and work just as hard.

"But, originally, James' overall package is what I noticed.

“I watched him (Milner) against Chelsea and he was probably one of the fittest on the pitch.

“He looks young, he looks fit, he's probably got eight percent body fat or something ridiculous.

"He's a bit like Ronaldo. I've never worked with Ronaldo, but I know people that have and I get the same impression. It's all the little things that add up, and they have more little things to add up.

“It's everything: drinking, James doesn't touch alcohol; food, he's meticulous with how much he eats; his timekeeping is perfect; he has goals – he wants to be fitter and stronger as months go by; his general behaviour and his internal discipline.

"It's no surprise to me whatsoever that he's still playing, and he'll roll on for another few years yet.”

Anfield Watch Verdict

There is no denying that Milner is one of the best professionals in the game and every player should look at what he does and how he goes about his diet and things like that if they want to prolong their career.

As mentioned, he does not feature in every game for Liverpool but he certainly gets more top-flight minutes in than most players his age, and that is to his credit.

For sure, you can see him playing for the Reds a little while longer yet.