After Liverpool’s loss to PSG in the Champions League this week, very few players did themselves proud at the Parc des Princes.
One player that can hold his head high is midfielder James Milner, who came away with a goal on his 150th appearance for the club. He was the only midfielder in the Liverpool setup who made an impactful contribution throughout the match, as he was at his usual tireless best.
Milner has consistently been one of Liverpool’s best performers over the past few seasons. Of course players like Mo Salah have stolen the headlines, but Milner has never put a foot out of line in red. The fact that Liverpool signed him for free from Man City makes this even more remarkable.
What’s even more staggering about this signing is the players around him. In Liverpool’s game in Paris, Milner was partnered alonside Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum, neither of which played well. The latter was largely anonymous all game, but still cost Liverpool £25m when he signed from Newcastle.
Then again, at least Wijnaldum was able to make the starting XI. On the other hand, Liverpool’s summer signings Fabinho and Naby Keïta were on the bench. The two of them combined cost The Reds almost £90m. That means between three midfielders, Liverpool spent well over £100m, but they have consistently been outshone by a player they bought for free.
Milner is the perfect example that money does not always buy a team success. He bucks the trend in this modern era of football and has shown the character and attitude to become a huge success at Liverpool- shown by his willingness to play at left-back. Milner is a clear example of how a team can be shrewd, and don’t need to spend money for the sake of it.
