James Milner is still going strong for Liverpool at the age of 34.
The Englishman is an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s squad and he was handed a start for the Reds’ Champions League curtain raiser versus Ajax last night.
Milner operated on the left of a midfield three alongside Gini Wijnaldum and Curtis Jones, delivering a typically assured performance to help secure a crucial 1-0 win for Liverpool.
The Englishman worked tirelessly to nullify Ajax’s array of exciting attackers and without him, Klopp’s side would likely not have kept a clean sheet in Amsterdam.
Milner won 16 ground duels, the most of any player on the pitch, made five interceptions – once again, more than any one else – and won 100% of his aerial duels.
But while those stats are both eye-catching, they’re nothing compared to the distance covered by the age-defying midfielder in the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
After the game, a graphic appeared on social media detailing that Milner had ran 12.63km during his 90 minutes in Amsterdam, 1.3km more than his nearest teammate – which was Wijnaldum.
James Milner 😳👏 pic.twitter.com/63haewoJ9V
— Steven Gerrard (@Gerrard8FanPage) October 21, 2020
James Milner's defensive numbers were astonishing.
— The Tactical Times (@Tactical_Times) October 21, 2020
16/21 ground duels won (1st ranked)
100% aerial duels won (2/2)
5 interceptions (1st ranked)
The man will be 35 soon and he just doesn't stop. You cannot put a price on a player like that.
The guy is not only a beast, he’s a role model for all young footballers. Few players in the professional game work harder to maintain their physical fitness than Milner.
Lest we forget, this was a guy who was playing Premier League football at the age of 16 and it’s only through his lifestyle choices that he’s still operating at such a high level 18 years later.