It has been 20 years since James Milner made his Premier League debut for Leeds.
After spells at Newcastle and Aston Villa, the midfielder went on to enjoy successful periods with Manchester City and Liverpool.
And now, the former England international has opened up on how he has maintained such a high standard during his long career.
Milner pointed towards his hard work and refusal to drink alcohol as key factors for his longevity.:
“You are just learning at that age and thinking: ‘What can I do to be the best?’ Alcohol is not the best thing for you? Right, I won’t do that,” he said.
“After training I’d practise corners and free-kicks rather than playing on the PlayStation. That obviously changes. After training every day five years ago I would have been doing shooting and my finishing was fantastic. When you get older you can’t be hitting balls every day after training, so you have to develop. I will do yoga tonight when I get home.
“Every single player in that dressing room is in the gym before training now doing their own stuff. Back then, or even at some other clubs now, you might get five to 10 lads in whereas here it is 25. And that is why the lads are at the level they are.”
Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool betting tips: Premier League preview, prediction and odds
Manchester City vs Fulham betting tips: Premier League preview, predictions, team news and odds
