James Milner‘s decision to go to Anfield in midweek despite being injured epitomises his professionalism and team ethic.
Liverpool had to make do without the 34-year-old against Ajax on Tuesday night as he continues to recover from a hamstring problem. Milner limped out of the Reds’ 1-1 draw away to Brighton last weekend, with his return date not yet confirmed.
While many injured players choose to stay at home when their team are playing, Milner is no normal footballer. The midfielder opted to be on the substitutes’ bench during the Ajax game, as pointed out by @LFCTS on Twitter:
Milner was injured against Ajax but still came to Anfield with the squad 💪 pic.twitter.com/IRg4DzqG92
— LFCTS (@LFCTS) December 3, 2020
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Milner is about as perfect a professional as you could wish to find, going about his duties in selfless fashion, and this latest act sums him up.
The veteran famously watched a young Liverpool team in action beat Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup last season, while every other senior player was nowhere to be seen.
Such commitment goes a long way and Milner’s influence may have made all the difference in midweek, perhaps chipping in during the team talk before the game, for example.
Jurgen Klopp must find him a priceless part of his squad and he has arguably been Liverpool’s greatest free transfer of all time.
