PRIDE Mr Perfect
MILNER IN KLOPP’S TOP FIVE
JURGEN KLOPP has no hesitation in placing James Milner in the top five of famous footballers he has coached in a memorable career.
The Liverpool boss believes he’s the “perfect professional” who can carry on at the highest level well into his thirties.
Klopp loves working with his Milly and still can’t get his head around the “boring” tag which has followed him from Leeds where he started to Newcastle, Aston Villa and City.
He said: “It could not be further from the truth. He is a proper English professional with the humour and what do you say? The big mouth.
“He is a very funny person. I have no idea where it came from. Perhaps it is having the same haircut since Leeds.”
Joking aside, Klopp is deadly serious about the role Milner, 30, has played this season after coming to the rescue in the left-back berth.
The German (below) added: “I have nothing bad to say about any of my players but he is certainly in the top five. I have been very lucky to surround myself with great professionals.
“But Milly is 100 per cent in the top five. Yes, the perfect professional. Playing left-back says more about his quality. It would not have been the smartest decision if he said he didn’t want to do it.
“He was open and I was not too surprised about that.
“He is comfortable in this position and with the ball he especially looks assured.
“From the outside it looks like a difficult transition to come from a wide position or central midfield to a specialist role at full-back. “But he is football smart and has good instincts. He is quick so he is good.” There was much scratching of heads when Milner packed his bags at trophy-winning City and travelled along the M62 to join Liverpool on a free transfer last summer. But now with Klopp’s fast flowing footballers challenging for the Premier League top spot, the thinking is clear. Milner is on the verge of even more success. Klopp said: “He has had a really impressive career and still has a long time to go. He has already been part of nice football stories. When I heard that Liverpool had signed him, I thought it was really good.
“That was a time when I had no idea that I would be part of his football development. I know Milly and he wants to play – always. Maybe that was not STEVE MILLAR the case at City. Hopefully he will be part of something big. For sure, he has five or six really good years ahead.”
Klopp is also hoping to coax a cameo performance out of Daniel Sturridge in tomorrow’s derby. The Reds striker has missed the last five matches with a calf injury but stepped up his recovery last week.
Now Klopp believes the England hitman, 27, could fill the role of super sub.
He said: “If he is available he will be involved.”