James Milner regrets short Leeds stint, cherishes Liverpool career | OneFootball

Leeds United visit Liverpool in the new year, and James Milner has reflected on a career that ties the two clubs. The midfielder says he regrets not staying longer at his boyhood side but cherishes his time at Anfield.

"Relegation was very tough, there were a lot of financial problems, things in the papers and issues off the pitch. You have to grow up quickly and watch how the older lads deal with it." He told FourFourTwo in 2018.

Milner joined Leeds as a 10-year-old in 1996 and debuted for the first team in 2002 aged 16. He became the Premier League’s youngest scorer against Sunderland, a mark later broken by Everton’s James Vaughan in April 2005. Two years later, with Leeds relegated, he was told to head to Newcastle for a medical for an initial £3.6m, a departure that caught him by surprise.

He later waived money the club owed him to help ease Leeds’ financial strain, saying the club’s interests came first during that period.

During his Liverpool years he acknowledged that a Leeds return would only make sense if the club wanted him, and that he loved playing for Liverpool while aiming to stay at the highest level for as long as possible. He added that, if his time at Liverpool ended and Leeds were interested, it would be an exciting option.

He has spoken of pride in Elland Road’s atmosphere and says he still checks the results every weekend. For his hometown club, the connection endures.

Source: Leeds Live