James Philip Milner, or James Milner as he is popularly called, is an English footballer who currently plays for Premier League side Manchester City. James Milner is a quite versatile midfielder who can play either in the wings or in the central midfield position. During his career, James Milner has represented major clubs including the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Newcastle United. He is also known for playing either at left back or right back.

James Milner initially started his career with the famous Leeds United side that made it into the semi finals of the Champions League. It was also the same side that fell down rapidly from their heights. It led to the discovery of James Milner by Newcastle United, who signed him in 2004 for a fee of around £3.6 million. It was considered to be very small amount of money for a very talented player, who could play in a lot of positions. It turned out to be the case, as Milner went from strength to strength as Newcastle United player.

As of now, most of his appearances in his career have come for the northeast club. James Milner first made his debut for Newcastle United on August 2004 in the match against archrivals Middlesbrough. He soon represented Newcastle United in the UEFA Cup, which was his first exposure to European competitions. James Milner soon made himself a first-team player for Newcastle United, but a certain clause in his contract allowed him to be loaned to Aston Villa. The loan move to Aston Villa was highly successful and he made 27 appearances during his time at the Midlands.

Ironically, the loan move paved the way for a permanent move in the future to Aston Villa. It was not until he returned to Newcastle United after his loan spell at Aston Villa. Milner then had a few years at Newcastle United where he was fairly successful. This brought him to the attention of new Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill, who then signed him for £12 million in August 2008. He signed a four-year contract with Aston Villa, who had just broken their club transfer record for the England player. Impressive performances in the two years he spent at Aston Villa earned him the interest from Manchester City, who were on a spending spree following the arrival on new owners.

After a long and protracted transfer saga, James Milner finally moved to Manchester City on August 2010 in a deal that was reportedly worth £25 million. It also involved Manchester City player Steven Ireland moving in the opposite direction. Milner made his debut for City in their 3-0 win over Liverpool, while his first goal for City came in the match against Leicester City in the FA Cup.

James Milner has also represented the England national team after making plenty of appearances in the under 21 side. So far, he has made 19 appearances for England, but is yet to score a goal.