James Milner: Brighton midfielder hungry for 24th Premier League season at age 39 despite ‘odd creaky ankle’ | Football News
James Milner is preparing for his 24th consecutive season as a Premier League footballer at the age of 39.
But you have the impression that his feeling of anticipation for a new campaign may never have been so great.
A determination to catch up with lost time – both for him and for his teammates – is obvious in the tone of his answers during an interview in southern Spain, the location of the Brighton de Brighton training camp.
Knee surgery was decided to be the best driving line after a blow in training before a match in Arsenal last August, but there were complications with the operation and nerve lesions were detected. A long and a long period of rehabilitation then followed.
“We have tried everything, hyperbarical rooms, hot coals, all different types of therapies – Scott Duggan Le [Brighton] The physio was incredible, it is obviously not an injury that is common, “said Milner.
“It just takes time for the nerve to grow up and come back. I think it was December 31, it was the first time that there was a sign of life at all and then it improved.
“We pushed it hard. Some things, jumping boxes and stuff where I couldn’t lift my foot yet, was interesting!”
James Milner should appear in his 24th different Premier League season
How was Milner’s state of mind during the launch of injuries? Did he go to dark places?
He replied after a long break: “I wouldn’t say dark, I would say frustrated moments.”
Milner needs 16 other appearances to exceed the Gareth Barry brand of 653
Milner finally came back from an injury, as a substitute on the last day of the season at Tottenham Hotspur.
After what happened, the possibility of becoming the manufacturer of record appearance of the Premier League is not the most important thing. It is in good shape and available for matches and in progress to give advice to young players.
He will need 16 other appearances to exceed the Gareth Barry brand of 653.
Milner says: “If this is something that I get then great, but for me to be honest, I focus on the field. I want to be as good as possible-to be on the training field around this team of players as much as possible,” he said.
Milner thinks that his hunger and mental desire to play at the highest level are higher than ever:
“It must be to want to continue to do it and push you,” he says.
“You may go out of bed in a morning, and you might have the strange creaky ankle and things like this, but this desire to want to do it-and it helps with the club in which I am.
“This campaign must come from the inside, but you also want to put a marker. You want to push these guys and they can push me and I hope I can push them too and obviously, it’s so important.”
Milner targets Brighton’s improvement
Milner will seek to help Brighton – which begins the 2025/26 campaign at home in Fulham on August 16 – Improve eighth place from last season.
They approached to qualify for European football with data suggesting that the players of the South Coast Club have missed more days due to an injury than any other Premier League club.
Milner said: “I think you always want to improve from year to year, so obviously improve the total points, improve this league position.
“I think the injuries had an impact on us.
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Danny Welbeck starts his pre-season in good shape while the veteran striker scored four goals in the first half in Brighton’s 6-1 victory against Wycombe
“It probably cost us some positions in the league”
The former English international is expecting great things by head coach Fabian Hurzeler after his first year in the Premier League.
Milner added: “The manager [Hurzeler] had another season to his credit, so he will have taken care of the Premier League a lot last season. I think we are in a good place at this stage of the pre-season. “”
