James Milner returned to Liverpool to become as an intern coach within their youth academy..

The Liverpool ECHO exclusively reported on Tuesday that former England international midfielder James Milner has returned to his former club, Liverpool, to become as an intern coach within their youth academy.

According to the report, Milner had already obtained his UEFA A coaching license while still playing for Liverpool and has been actively preparing to earn his UEFA Pro Coaching License in recent years.

To facilitate his qualification process, Liverpool had previously arranged for him to regularly consult then-manager Jürgen Klopp on coaching and team management knowledge, while also involving him in coaching young players within the U18s squad and the broader academy setup.

After Milner moved to Brighton when his contract expired, the Seagulls continued the practice, allowing the legendary star to participate in tactical meetings, just as Liverpool had done.

During a period of nearly a year when Milner was sidelined by injury, Brighton even arranged for manager Fabian Hürzeler to explain advanced coaching philosophies knowledge to him.

This initiative has received approval and support from the English Football Association (FA), who have pledged to fully cooperate with Liverpool in providing the necessary assistance.

However, it is worth mentioning that since this return to the Reds is intended for gaining practical coaching experience, Milner will not be registered as an official, salaried coach of the club.

About James Milner

The 40-year-old Milner was born on January 4, 1986, in Leeds, England. He is 1.75 meters tall. A highly versatile player, he is capable of playing in various midfield roles as well as at left-back or right wing-back.

Milner joined the Leeds United youth academy at the age of 10 and completed his first-team debut on November 10, 2002. He also spent time on-loan at Swindon Town during his career. 

As Leeds United plunged into a financial crisis, Milner was reluctantly sold to Newcastle United for £5 million in July 2004.

During his four-year stint with the Magpies, Milner experienced European competition for the first time and helped the team win the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

In late August 2008, Milner moved to Aston Villa for a fee of £12 million.

During his two-year spell with the Villans, he helped the team reach the English League Cup final. Although they ultimately finished as runners-up, his impressive performances still earned him a place in the England national squad.

In August 2010, Milner joined Manchester City for £26 million.

During his five-year spell with the Cityzens, Milner won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one English League Cup, and one FA Community Shield with the club.

Upon the expiry of his contract in the summer of 2015, Milner joined Liverpool on a free transfer.

Immediately after joining Liverpool, he was appointed the club's vice-captain. He also frequently took on a mentoring role, coaching the club's young players and setting a positive example.

After leaving upon the expiry of his contract in the summer of 2023, Milner joined Brighton on a free transfer, where he played until his retirement this summer.

Over the course of his 24-year professional career, Milner made a total of 897 appearances across all competitions for various Premier League clubs, scoring 84 goals and providing 135 assists.

Image source: Internet / Liverpool ECHO