Klopp reveals what Milner took with him when he left Liverpool | OneFootball

Jurgen Klopp has explained why James Milner’s Premier League appearance record is not just a number, because it is built on discipline, influence and an unusual mix of intensity and warmth that Liverpool supporters saw up close for eight seasons at Anfield.

Milner, now 40, became the Premier League’s all-time appearance leader on Saturday when the Brighton No.20 made his 654th top-flight outing, moving beyond Gareth Barry’s long-standing mark.

In an ESPN interview reflecting on Milner’s achievement, Klopp described the former Liverpool midfielder as one of the most unique professionals he has ever coached.

Klopp said: “He’s probably the most disciplined, most stubborn, most strict professional football player I ever worked with, he’s on the same time the has the biggest heart.”

That line lands because it captures the version of Milner we knew, the relentless standards in training, the leadership without needing to shout, and the off-pitch work that mattered just as much to him as matchday minutes.

Klopp on Milner’s Liverpool influence behind the scenes

Klopp went further than a simple tribute, because he explained that Milner shaped the dressing-room culture in ways a lot of supporters never see.

The former Liverpool manager admitted he only fully understood how much Milner did once the Leeds-born midfielder left in 2023, because the rules and structure quietly went with him.

Klopp said: “I realised that really only when he after he left… somebody came in my office and asked… what’s the fine? And I said, ‘Oh, I have no clue who did that so far.’… ‘Oh, Millie.’ So he took all with him. Not the money, but all the the rules. So we had to set it up completely new because Millie left.”

That is the clearest explanation of why Milner was more than a utility player for us, because standards are often enforced by personalities, not posters on a wall.

It also ties neatly into what Andy Robertson has said with his Milner tribute, where the Scotland left-back said the “mentality and character” talk is correct, but insisted people should not forget “what a footballer” Milner is.

James Milner’s Liverpool career in numbers

(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Milner’s record-breaking longevity has taken him through multiple eras, but his Liverpool period remains one of the defining chapters of his career.

Here is a snapshot of Milner’s Reds profile, via LFC history data.

Klopp also credited Milner’s versatility as a major reason the midfielder kept finding new ways to contribute, including the spell at full-back that became a hallmark of our strongest years.

Klopp said: “Oh yeah, definitely yes 100%… the more position you can play it gives you a longer lifeline 100%.”

Jordan Henderson’s words on Milner being “a pair of captains” in the Liverpool dressing room fit the same theme, because Milner’s leadership did not depend on a title or an armband.

The record is a reminder of what Klopp built at Liverpool, and how Milner helped build it, because the Premier League’s most enduring career was shaped by the kind of standards that made our best sides tick.

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