James Milner is on the verge of leaving City as his current deal with the club expires at the end of the season

Football is no one man sport and ironically enough it is not a sport that needs just 11 players on each side. A football team cannot function if it does not have at least 23 members raring to go at a moment’s notice and in today’s game where speed is of the essence, clubs need more and more players to help them meet their ambitions. A big squad consisting of all equally talented individuals, or as equally talented as they can be is a must these days, and it gives me great pleasure to say that our club, Manchester City is one that has a big squad. We are very lucky to have some of the game’s biggest stars at our disposal including the likes of Aguero, Yaya Toure and Kompany, but amidst all these stars there is a name that we sometimes forget, although his contribution to the City cause is no less.

The England international is having a great season for the Citizens after notching up seven assists

James Milner is one fantastic footballer who gives 100% every time he steps out on a football pitch. The 29 year old England man has built up a reputation for being a no frills type of player who does not hog the limelight but puts in steady displays every time he is selected to play. I have always been a fan of Milner’s and was extremely happy when he joined us from Aston Villa in the summer of 2010 and after four and a half years at the Etihad, I can honestly say that I have started to like him even more. He has always contributed to the City cause ever since his first season here and although he isn’t really among the goals, he does provide a great number of assists. Last season was his most impressive in a City shirt as he made a whopping 44 appearances in all competitions and notched up 15 assists. A player like James Milner is very hard to find these days and his importance to the team is truly unimaginable. He has already assisted seven goals this season in 29 appearances and we may very well see another productive campaign from him. The primary reason as to why I am writing an article about him is because of the sad truth that his future at City is up in the air. The former Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Leeds United man has just five months left on his present deal with the Citizens’ and is currently free to talk to other clubs about a Bosman transfer to be finalized in the summer. This is surely not a situation that we would have envisaged being in with one of our finest players, but the main factor behind the player stalling on a deal is his assurances regarding playing time. Milner is known to want more starts than he usually gets but the chances of that happening are not very high as he is seen as an impact substitute who is brought on to affect the tempo of a game during the latter stages of a game.

The number seven signed from Aston Villa in the summer of 2010 for almost 26 million pounds

His nonexistent injury record,  phenomenal work rate are two of the biggest pros that he has in his favour, but the two biggest advantages that he has to offer are, his nationality and his versatility. The number 7 has this insane ability to play wherever he is told to and this is something that you cannot get these days.  He can play on both flanks, through the middle and also as a wing back and this surely has to be a great asset that every team would loathe to have. His nationality as an Englishman is also a major help as he allows us to fulfil the criteria for homegrown players. Overall, James Milner is one huge asset that Manchester City are proud of. He has already been offered a contract by the Citizens and was expected to sign it but that has not happened yet leading to speculation that his time at the Etihad may in fact be up. But as they say, it ain’t over till it’s over, so I, and numerous other City fans will be hoping against hope that he does choose to extend his stay with us because he is a player that we desperately need.