Interview with James Milner as he bid a warm farewell to Anfield on Saturday ‘never thought any other club would inspire me as much as Liverpool’

James Milner reflected on his incredible journey with Liverpool as he bid a warm farewell to Anfield on Saturday.

The vice-captain played his final game as Red at the famous stadium, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 1-1 Premier League draw with Aston Villa.

Emotional scenes ensued at the end of the match, with special presentations and tributes for outgoing Milner, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Milner spent eight seasons with the club, making over 300 appearances and winning seven of football’s biggest prizes during that time.

“I enjoyed every minute here,” he told Liverpoolfc.com. “An incredible club, the size of the club, the history before you came in and we managed to make our own history.”

“Travelling around the world, seeing the support we get, the special nights we’ve had here, the European nights, the amazing games, of course Dortmund and Barca always stand out but other phases of games too These memories will forever be etched in our minds.”

“I’m Leeds through and through and always have been and always will be – but I probably never thought any other club would love me as much as Liverpool.”

“It says everything about the place and the fans and the history and what we’ve created here, but also the group of people. “I was lucky enough to share this dressing room and the people at the training ground and the people who have been here for so long – that’s what football clubs are all about.”

“I was lucky enough to play here for eight years and ultimately the club belongs to the fans. I was lucky enough to wear the number 7 shirt and [he] probably won’t be seen back.” Positions still can But I hope I filled the shirt with everything a Liverpool player should have.

“It will be sad to go and leave people but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m happy now that we’ve managed to achieve what we have and pretty much exactly what you planned to achieve when you come here. It doesn’t happen very often, does it?”

He reads on for the rest of our interview with the midfielder…

Before we talk about your legacy here, it’s a frustrating end to your life at Anfield with the result, isn’t it?

Yes, disappointing. Obviously I think about the racing we’ve had and we wanted to finish the season at a gallop like we’ve been and put the top four under pressure. Unfortunately it wasn’t our best performance today, the conditions weren’t easy, hot, the course dried out a bit and stuff like that, and we didn’t manage it well enough. But we struggled to get to the end and we were pushing for that winner but unfortunately it didn’t come.

Sure, Bobby always took the lens that brought us back in…

It is obviously a classy achievement for him to score a goal at Anfield. If he deserves it. What he did for the club and the goals he scored was an appropriate [way]. If he could have had another, it would have been even better! That brings it to the point, doesn’t it? Coming and scoring at the end of the Kop – great.

Before talking about you, give us an overview of him. I don’t think there were that many popular players like him…

He’s such a calm guy who always smiles. I’m still trying to figure out after so long if he just smiles and nods because he doesn’t understand me! Sometimes I try Spanish, sometimes English. But the language he speaks is obviously football. What a player, wow. He’s got it all – possession, shots from the goalkeeper, the ability to change games on his own, pressing, selflessness, assists, ridiculous celebrations, unnoticed finishes. Anyway, he has it. A good guy, but the things he does for the team, he was great to play with. He’s one of those where you look at the stats log and say he’s a number 9 and the goals he’s scored are also important. He’s not as prolific as Mo, but when you see him play and what he does for the team with and without [the ball], the positions he takes, making us play, receiving him in tight spaces, it’s incredible.

Liverpool 1-1 Aston Villa: Highlights

How easy is it to talk about you right now? You’ve been involved in everything brilliant about this team… To be honest, I get more emotional when I talk about boys. I get more emotional when it comes to other people. It’s amazing how eight years have passed. It was a special time and the things we achieved together, the journey we went on — when the manager came, before the manager came and stuff like that, and you see how the team evolved and what we were able to do realize. I wanted to come here and win trophies and be successful. In recent history, before I arrived, there weren’t too many trophies and I was like, ‘Can you change that? Can you go and win a league title?’ That was obviously the big goal and we knew the fans wanted it. To leave now and know that something has been done and achieved is great and that’s exactly why I wanted to come here and we succeeded.

As for the fans, they’ve been amazing the whole time here. Did you realize you were going to come back here in your 60s and talk about those times and the history you made with those guys?

No not yet! It’s probably not that far, to be honest! I strongly believe in taking it match by match. It was clear today was the last game at Anfield and we have one more game to play next week and it will be good to finish with a win. The memories you have with the boys and the games you’ve played and the saves and stuff like that – those are the memories and the days you’ve been working so hard for all along. You can go anywhere in the world and there are Liverpool fans everywhere, it’s ridiculous. It’s a great club and I’m proud and happy to have been a part of it for so long.