Football Daily - James Milner - The Football Interview

Episode Date: March 20, 2026

In this week’s edition of the Football Interview, Kelly Somers speaks to Brighton midfielder James Milner. They discuss his journey from joining the Leeds academy to breaking the appearance record in the Premier League at the age of 40. He talks about the best managers he's played under as well as the highs and lows of his Premier League career which started way back in 2002.0’30 - What would a young Milner say about the career he’s had? 1’00 - Breaking the appearance record. 2’13 - His first football memory and being scouted for Leeds 5’00 - First Premier League appearance and goal in 2002 6’14 - Best manager he’s played under and relationship with Klopp 8’56 - What game would he relive? 9’40 - Toughest moment of his career 11’18 - Did he think last year’s injury would end his career? 12’00 - How much has football changed? 14’29 - What do people get wrong about him? 16’50 - Retirement and going into management5 Live / BBC Sounds commentaries: Sat 1200 Man City v Spurs in WSL on Sports Extra, Sat 1500 Fulham v Burnley, Sat 1730 Everton v Chelsea, Sun 1415 Spurs v Nottingham Forest, Sun 1415 Aston Villa v West Ham on Sports Extra, Sun 1630 League Cup Final - Arsenal v Man City.

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He whispers to himself, It's time to put my balls on the dashboard. As he starts the engine. In 15 minutes, he's in an ambulance, unconscious. In 15 years, he's a billionaire. This is Toto Wolf, Formula One's most powerful team boss and the breakout star of Drive to Survive. This week on Good Bad Billionaire,

how Toto Wolf made his billions. Listen wherever you get your BBC podcasts. The Football Interview on the Football Daily podcast. I'm Kelly Summers, and this season I'm in interviewing some of the biggest names in football, asking them the questions they don't normally get asked as I try to find out more about the person behind the player. And this week's football interview is a slightly different one as we reflect on the incredible career of the Premier League's all-time record appearance holder, James Milner. Well, James, good to see you. I always start these interviews by going back to the very beginning. What would a young James Milner have made of what you have achieved becoming the Premier League all-time record appearance holder?

I think it's hard to say, I suppose, when you're that age, you're just trying to get in the first team at first and foremost, you know, getting in around there and staying there. And then that's the next thing. And then it's always what's the next achievement and never rest on your laurel sort of thing, really. So, yeah, I definitely won't be thinking too far ahead, never mind 20 odd years ahead and thinking I'd still be playing, yeah. Has it all been quite surreal? Because there's been so much understandable hype around it. you get into the record when you were going to break it and the fact that you have has it been quite weird for me i've obviously been asked about it a lot sorry sorry to add to that mr

no no obviously yeah which which is obviously a nice thing in terms of people acknowledging it's a big number it's a lot of games but i've just been concentrating on doing my job for brian really and if it hit hit the number then great it wasn't something that i'm like i need to do this then everyone else asked asked lots of questions about it and i think I think the narrative around it then is like that's the only reason why I'm still playing sort of thing. And for me like if you spoke to me or anyone knows, I would just want to contribute to my team and keep pushing and helping the club here. There's been some really nice tributes and stuff like that. Messages I've had obviously which is I don't want to downplay those and sort of seem like it doesn't matter anything.

Because obviously it's so nice and some of the things people have said is fantastic. But for me, you know, individual stuff, it's something maybe you look at when you're looking at you're finished off for me it's always about the team and just doing your job and hopefully i can keep doing that what is your first football memory then first football memory would be leads united winning the first division title and my dad's picking me up in the lounge and um throw me around and say enjoy it might never happen again in your life and i would have been five at that point oh really so at that point you knew it was leads for life yeah that was the first memory and then we started going to games and stuff after I had a season ticket and yeah they went from there

what about kicking a ball then were you kicking it then were you showing you yeah I mean maybe I can't remember kicking much of it I remember playing my first ever game for the local team it was Westbrook juniors and we lost 16 2 and it was like full-size pitch full-size goals you got bounce back from that space I love it that stuck with you the actual score like exactly how many you conceded yeah it has played a season there and then And that team stopped and then the next team I played for it was under 12s, I think I was nine. And then I got scouted for Leeds. Which I imagine was the dream, wasn't it?

From your dad lifting you up. Yeah, I mean, it was weird really because until that point as a kid, I'd never really thought about being a footballer. Obviously, I loved football and I was playing football, but it never crossed my mind. I could actually do it myself, yeah, for whatever reason. I mean, you're nine years old and, yeah, you're just being a kid, really. So that was the first time and then going and putting the Leeds training kit on and having a trial. Obviously that was special as a Leeds fan and then that was the dream then. Can you remember your first training session at Leeds?

I remember my first training session with the reserves. David Batty was one side of me and someone else was another. I'm like, oh my God, like it's bats like legend and getting over that and then pretty quick got shoved over with the first team and you got called over. I don't know if someone got sent in or they needed a number and it was like, go train with the first team and you'd have time to think about it and you get involved. I just remember the speed of it was like wow this is ridiculous and I remember like welcome to the first team kid,

that sort of thing, you get tested, you know, you get showered out if you give it away. I remember breaking my nose, actually, in training. I got a pretty strong tackle from one of the younger players in the first team, but it was maybe three. I mean, I was 16, so he was maybe 20. But, yeah, I got kicked in the face on the floor and broke my nose. And I was one of the early days.

And yeah, you got a tough one up and get on with it. But, you know, the senior boys were great, Mills at Millsie and Gary Kelly and Matt Voducah. Alan Smith was the one I looked up to. He was the guy who come through the academy and scored with his first touch at onfield and done what we all wanted to do. So he was the and Leeds his academy had been so great over the years. You know, Harry Kuhl and Woodgate, Paul Robinson, Alan Smith. The list goes on and looking back now at 16, after him just on my GCS season and being in with the first team, it's like, but at the time you just focused and trying to

trying to prove that you belong there. 2002 was quite a big year for you, wasn't it, really? With everything, was it first Premier League goal, Premier League appearance, and you were so young? Yeah, and like I say, I look back now and you think how young you were, three, four months before I'd been doing my GCSEs, and my mates, you know, still in the sixth form and coming to watch at Ellen Road, and you're playing on Ellen Road, and then played a few games.

Can you remember your first goal? Yeah, I think I'd come on early for Harry Kuhl, maybe limped out. Jason Wilcox whipped it across the front. and I got at the front post and then we played two days later at LM Road, 26, 28th he played and came on early again. Someone else got injured and was lucky enough to score again. Happened quite quickly. Yeah, so it was a bit of an explosion at that point and, you know, two goals in three days.

Obviously, Wayne Rooney was doing his thing before that as well in the same season too, 16-year-olds coming through at the same time. So, you know, as good as he was, I think that took quite a lot of pressure off me as well. because there was a lot of limelight on him. Although I was doing okay, I think the majority of the spotlight was on him. So I think that would probably help me as well. Who was the best manager that you've played under? I mean, it's tough because obviously you'll go back to Terry and Sir Bobby

and you think absolutely legends. I'm so thankful to someone like Terry Venables in a team that wasn't doing particularly well to have the confidence to stick a 16-year-old in. You go through the ears and then you're looking at someone like Juergen who, I think all round I'd have to say Juergen in terms of as a man as a character, you know, how he improved me, what I learnt from him. The relationship we had in terms of being able to say exactly what we thought and be taken in the right way and knew that we were both 100% in everything we did. Did that sometimes result in any clashes? Yeah, now and then, not many, not many, but it was a clash that, you know, he knew I wanted to win and he was the same and we didn't have any big clashes, you know, he'd maybe tell me to shut up at times and things like that, but he knew I just wanted to help him and frustrated in whatever way and things like that, and it was always done with respect, obviously. The times you'd come in at half time, he'd expect a rocket and he was the opposite, he was really soft, and other times you'd be on fire and playing really well and he'd come in and go, man.

over one little thing just to keep on his toes and you know you know 99% of the time he got it bang on didn't he so yeah i think as an all-round manager i think he was a high level and when he came in at a liverpool we weren't by any means the favourite you know in the premier league to to win anything so what he what he built there was special it's 2009 and we're in the German mountains. A man straps himself into a car on the world's most dangerous racetrack. He whispers to himself, It's time to put my balls on the dashboard. As he starts the engine. In 15 minutes, he's in an ambulance, unconscious. In 15 years, he's a billionaire. This is Toto Wolf, Formula One's most powerful team boss and the breakout star of Drive to

survive. This week on Good Bad Billionaire, how Toto Wolf made his billions. Listen wherever you get your BBC podcasts. From a small village on the banks of the River Nile. Everybody call me Muhammad, but you know, short name or nickname, they call me Mo. To the biggest stages of world football. Sala is more than just a player. He's an icon, a symbol, a king. Mohammed Sala represents a dream for Egyptians, for Muslims, for Africans.

More than just a football player, he gave us hope. I'm Kelly Kate. This is Sporting Giants, Mo Sala. Listen on BBC Sounds The Football Interview On the Football Daily podcast What's one game I think we've established

you've played a fair few that you wish you could relive I think it's hard to do one I think the early first goal at LN Road the Chelsea game I think reliving that

as a Leeds fan and not being that old and not playing for Leeds that much longer. I'd love to experience that again. And I'd probably say it has to be Barcelona, I think, in the semi-final. Obviously, losing heavily in the first leg against a world-class team like Barcelona. And we had players missing on the night as well. I think to be able to turn that around and win 4-0. It was an incredible night. And, you know, I think that's

probably a special evening. So that's the highs. What about the toughest moment? Yeah. Being relegated with Leeds, I think, is up there again a long time ago, but you wait so long to play for your hometown club and the year before I remember my debut, I think we got to the Champions League semi-final. So then a couple of years later to get relegated, I think any time you lose a final, and I've been fortunate to win some trophies. but I've lost a few finals as well so that's never nice.

Is there one in particular that you look back on? I think Champions League finals when you lose them, I think. The first one, you know, Bale scores one of the greatest goals in the European Cup history, I would say, to, you know, a floated ball into the box, bicycle kick in a game where

you know, we just got back in, one all. And in that time, we had the team where you had that momentum and we'd be just dominating teams for 10. 15 minute spells where the speed we put into the game was ridiculous and we could overwhelm teams and we had our backs up and the fans were with us and to do that goal it just you know killed the momentum of the game and then the other Champions League final you know where we played really well and you know they had a roboting goal and saved everything we've chucked it in basically so

I think you know to lose European Cup finals is probably very low and personally probably like Last year was very tough, I think, with the injury I had and obviously the age you're at and not knowing what was going to happen. I think that was probably a really tough year. Did you ever think that would be it? Yeah, I think probably everyone did. The physio I was working with and people like that think, you know, to not be able to lift your foot for six months as a 39-year-old football, it's probably not the ideal scenario where you're going to turn around and say, yeah, you're going to be on fire next year. and play games.

So I think for me that was probably a driver, that it was so unlikely. And, you know, you want to prove again. Prove, prove you can beat the odds and luckily enough, managed to do it. And it's great to be back out there this year and playing and being with the boys out on the field. I'm sure a lot of people like myself have come

and tried to get you to reflect on everything since you've reached this landmark. But has it given you the opportunity to look back at just how much football has changed? And I want to know what maybe you don't like as much. Yeah. I mean, yeah, it has changed. Like we've had a few conversations and topics around it.

I think there was one earlier this year when we scored a goal in the carabar, I think, and a few of the young boys had the tiny shimpads on. And I think, you know, people's shimpads now are that small. Because you can't really tackle, whereas when I first come through, the first pass you got, you know, you're getting walloped from behind. As a winger, the fullback's coming through your first one, and he's saying, first one, ref. And it's like, yeah, right.

And it's first one's free. and you know you could go in quite hard whereas now you have to be very careful you know you can still do obviously firm challenges but if you get the tiny this bit wrong so I think obviously that's changed the pitches have changed the pictures are obviously a lot better now you used to have a period in probably November December January where it was a bit ropey and you know you might even be like keep it wide today lads and backpass is wider the goal because it's bobbly and obviously we're fortunate that That's changed on the not so fortunate side, I would say in my opinion, the AR coming in is obviously a big change and something that I'm not overly in favour of, but that's my personal opinion. I've also heard a fair few people talk about being at your 40th in January. Yeah. And it was like, who's who a football? Yeah, I mean, when you've played as long as I have and fortunate to play with so many good people, yeah, it's tough to see. see each other as often obviously with the schedules and stuff so it's great to get together

and I mean that's an amazing thing in football and the strange thing that you can be so close with people and spend so much time travelling and going through ups and downs and successes together and you get really close and then one day a transfer happens and that's it they're gone and you know you know what men alike as well we're not great at keeping in contact them with the odd message here and there and that's the strange part of it and then obviously people get older and retire and obviously people, a lot of people that I've played with now, you see him on TV every time you turn it on. I thought, I played with him, played with him, played against him, and he was horrible. What do you think they say about you? Yeah, who knows, who knows, but yeah, I think

that's strange as you go through and you go to that process and you know, you're coming close to that though. What's the one thing that people get wrong about you the most? I don't want to say it, but I'll probably say the boring thing, but maybe I'll maybe have to cut that out because I don't mind, I don't mind them thinking. So it's an all an act? Yeah, I think so, yeah. Have you kind of embraced that in a way? Yeah, I don't, I don't mind at all.

Like, we've had a laugh with it on social media and dived into it and stuff like that. And yeah, it's, it's, it's not boring, are you? I'm told by quite a few people. Well, it's an opinion, isn't it? I suppose there's plenty who might think that. But yeah, you know, like, it's been quite funny. And there's been a lot of fun around it. I've had fun with it myself.

and yeah, I don't mind getting involved with the banter in the changing rooms and things like that. So people who know me will probably question it, but I'm more than happy people having that opinion. Tell me something about yourself that would surprise me. That you're not boring, don't say that. I started trying to learn how to play the piano the piano last few years. Okay, how come? I bought the kids a keyboard for Christmas. They went to bed and I started tinkering around on it.

and then a bit more, a bit more, and then developed into, alright, let's get a PAMO and, yeah, went from there. Does that tell us a lot about your personality in terms of you can't just do something? If you're going to do it, you're all in, and you've got to prove everyone wrong. Yeah, pretty much, yeah, I think if I'm doing something, I'm doing it to the best of my ability and having a good go, so. Are you any good? And what can you play?

I'm, I wouldn't say I'm good, but I'm improving, play a bit of Elton John and the Dell and things like that. So, yeah, I'm okay, but over the next few years, maybe I'll have a bit more time. I can practice a bit more. What are you proudest of? I'd probably say the two things for me was being able to go to Man City who hadn't won anything for a long time and being part of that group

that won the first trophies there and started this era of success and being part of that and then being able to go to Liverpool in a time where they hadn't won too much in recent history and being part of that success I think being able to help two different teams start an area of success in their recent history

I think you're lucky if you can do that with one team and experience those things. I think to be able to do that with two and I think that's something I'm proud of and like I say that's probably more me than an individual record. It's something that you've achieved as a group. How long can you go on for? I mean who knows. Things change very quickly in football and like say after last year where I couldn't lift my foot and especially when you get a bit older, things change very quickly.

And football changes quick and I say who knows. But how I feel currently, I could probably, do a few more years if I wanted to but it has to be the right. Do you want to? I feel physically and mentally. I still have that drive and still I get looked after very well here. The physio's a fantastic knowing how to load me and the work and when to push and when to pull back. So that's very good and help me be in the nick I'm in and

touch would be pretty good with injuries this year. But again who knows what the club wants? Are they happy with me here and things like that so there's a lot of moving parts but I still feel pretty good. And if not, Premier League manager? Yeah, I mean, that's some days you think, yeah, that would be interesting and something I could be good at on other days. You know, you see how tough the job is. It's so difficult.

They'll get a lot of time there to stamp your mark on a team these days and things like that. So who knows, there's a lot of aspects that I've been fortunate enough to be around, you know, learning from Juergen and then coming here and being involved. in a lot of conversations last year when I was injured. The manager has been brilliant with me, including me and a lot of things. And learning and thinking, you know, when you get to a certain age, you think so much more about the team than yourself. And you're thinking about dynamics and personalities and when to give people a kick up the ass,

and when to put an arm round them and thinking how this will affect the team instead of just yourself. And because I've played so long, I feel like I've been in that period for quite a while. That's been of great learning curve and, but I know I had e-worked. and how do you have to work and I think after playing for so long and having that intensity for so long I think the first thing would probably have a bit of restless. And finally if you could tell a young James Milner one thing now what would it be? I'd probably say enjoy it more but I don't think it's possible. I think you're always pushing for the next game and the next win and so I'd probably say try and enjoy it as much as you

can and the young James will probably say no let's get on the next game. on the next one. Well, James, thank you so much for talking to us today. It's fascinating. I'm Rich Hall, and this is Sports Strangest Crimes Presents Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker. When people ask me what I do, I say to them, well, by day or by night.

The story of one man's mission to conquer the holy grail of streaking the Super Bowl. Mark Roberts says too lively for his body. He's just like the entertainer. Mark pushes the boundaries of what his Socially acceptable. No chance. Texas.

It's really strict. But then the more of those about it. No, I thought I'm going. What are you about? Sports Strangers Crimes presents Confessions of a Super Bowl streaker. Listen on BBC Sounds. It's 2009 and we're in the German mountains. A man straps himself into a car on the world's most dangerous racetrack.

He whispers to himself, It's time to put my balls on the dashboard. As he starts the engine. In 15 minutes, he's in an ambulance, unconscious. In 15 years, he's a billionaire. This is Toto Wolf, Formula One's most powerful team boss and the breakout star of Drive to Survive. This week on Good Bad Billionaire,

how Toto Wolf made his billions. Listen wherever you get your BBC podcasts.