page_title: James Milner
section_title: Aston Villa
hierarchical_section_title: James Milner / Club career / Aston Villa
caption_attribution_description: English: James Milner For Aston Villa, Picture by Gus Stephens
context_page_description: James Philip Milner is an English professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Liverpool. A versatile player, he has been used in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full-back. Milner is Liverpool's vice-captain.
  Milner's talent in football, cricket, and long-distance running was recognised at a young age. He represented his school in these sports and played football for amateur teams from Rawdon and Horsforth. He supported Leeds United from a young age and was a season ticket holder at the club. In 1996, he joined the Leeds Youth Academy. He made his debut for the first team in 2002 aged only 16 and gained prominence as the youngest player to score in the Premier League, and later spent time on loan at Swindon Town to gain further first-team experience. After Leeds United were relegated at the end of the 2003–04 season, Milner was sold to Newcastle United.
  Milner went on to make over 100 appearances for Newcastle United, winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2006, and spent a year on loan at Aston Villa, before signing for Aston Villa permanently in 2008.
context_section_description: Milner signed for Aston Villa on 29 August 2008 for a fee of £12 million, and signed a four-year contract with the club. Milner made his debut for Villa on 31 August 2008 as a second-half substitute against Liverpool. His first goals in his second spell at Villa came in a third round FA Cup tie against Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium on 4 January 2009 on his 23rd birthday, where he scored both goals in a 2–1 win for Villa.
  Milner's first Premier League goal in his second spell at Villa came on 17 January 2009 in a 2–1 win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. On 7 February 2009, Milner was named to the England senior team squad for the first time, after a run at club level that had impressed England manager Fabio Capello. Milner continued to impress and scored his second league goal of the season against Blackburn Rovers on 7 February and scored a free kick from outside the penalty area at home against Everton as Villa came back from a 3–1 deficit to draw 3–3 on 12 April. He stated that his time at Villa is the "most settled" period of his career so far, having played for thirteen managers and caretakers despite being only 23.
  At the start of the 2009–10 season, Milner moved into the centre of midfield after the sale of captain Gareth Barry to Manchester City. On 28 February 2010, he scored the opening goal in the 2010 League Cup Final with a penalty. Villa were eventually beaten 2–1 by Manchester United. Milner ended the season with 12 goals and was named Aston Villa's Fan's Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year.
  On 19 May 2010, Manchester City made a £20 million offer for Milner which was rejected. On 22 July 2010, Villa manager Martin O'Neill said that Milner had shown a desire to leave Villa for City, but would only be sold at Villa's valuation. On 14 August despite being on the verge of a move to Manchester City, Milner played in Villa's first match of the season against West Ham United, scoring Villa's third goal. Milner was given a standing ovation when he was substituted near the end of the match.
caption: Milner training with Aston Villa in 2009
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