I think the first time I finished a season with the same manager who started it was Martin O'Neill at Villa, probably five seasons into my career.

James Milner

Categorized in : Think Time First Time Seasons

I never really got that chance at Manchester City and developed into a utility player. Playing in all the positions has made me a better player because it's not easy to do that. Understanding the game has made me a more rounded player as well.

city game me chance

I would never say never. You never know what is going to happen.

say never know you

When a new manager comes in, you have to prove yourself all over again. That's what you have to do every day and keep your standards high.

every-day yourself day you

Any time that you're criticised, it drives you on, and you try to prove people wrong.

try you time people

For me, if you play at Anfield, it is not a tactical game.

game me you play

Fitness has always been a strength of mine. People seem to look at ages and think once you get over 30, you're coming to the end. I'd like to think I've got a number of years left in me. I feel really good, and that's down to the great work the staff at the club do looking after us and the facilities we have.

good me strength work

You can look at every game, some where I've been a defensive player and others where I've had an impact.

game look you impact

I contribute in many different ways to the team. I've played a hell of a lot of games in my career, and you can stake any argument on the stats.

you argument hell team

It's not like I'm against alcohol. It's just a decision I made, and if you've never had it, you don't miss it. I've been drenched in champagne a few times over my career. I might have a drink if England win the World Cup. That's one moment where I might.

moment you decision world

I speak to my mum and dad about the club, and my uncle and all my mates are big Leeds fans as well. They're on the up, if you like. It's a better situation than it was when they were in League One not so long ago.

you dad speak long

I remember my dad ringing me up and giving me my GCSE results when I was at Thorp Arch for pre-season training. A month later, I was playing in the first team. It was pretty amazing, really. I think if you stopped and thought about it at the time, it would have hit you.

me you dad time

I had the chance to play with Alan Shearer to join the list of class players I'd played with at a young age at Leeds - the Vidukas, Smiths, Kewells, and Woodgates.

chance age play class

I was going to a good club in Newcastle and working with an unbelievable manager in Bobby Robson. It was the best for Leeds, and in the end, it worked out well for me as well.

end best good me

It's tough. That's the side people don't see. You have to balance it, get it right, and be a dad as well as a footballer. That is part of the job. Around this time of year, it's so important.

you dad time people

I remember my first Christmas with Leeds, training Christmas Day. I wasn't old enough to drive yet - so I had to get picked up and taken in!

drive day christmas remember

I think you always want to see your former clubs doing well.

doing see think you

The pace of the game has changed even while I've been a player. It always seems to be getting quicker. You need to be fast, quick to get around the park, need to be able to press and defend and get in peoples' faces, and you need quality on the ball.

need game you quality

I don't think I'd like to be that guy who does disrupt training. I always feel the team comes first, and that's the way it is, and me being a disruptive influence, because I'm not playing, doesn't help the team.

feel me training team

Individual players don't win titles no matter how good you are as a player. The best players in the world need a team around them. It is about the team, and we are playing for the badge.

best good you world

Newcastle was tough - the manager who'd signed me, Bobby Robson, got sacked three games into the season, so a new manager arrived, and I ended up going on loan again, to Aston Villa.

new me tough three