PLAYER PROFILE

James Milner

Position: Midfield

Height: 5'7

Weight: 10st 7lbs

Date of Birth: 1986-01-04 Leeds, England

James Milner

James Milner began his career at Leeds United and scored five times in 48 Premiership outings for the Whites after breaking into the first team at 16.

A £3.6million switch to Newcastle United followed after Leeds' relegation, but when Graeme Souness replaced Sir Bobby Robson as manager, he found himself struggling to get regular football.

In the summer of 2005 he joined Aston Villa on loan, linking up with David O'Leary again, and flourished at Villa Park. They tried to keep him permanently at the end of his season there, but no deal was agreed and he returned to Newcastle.

He became a regular starter at St James' Park under Glenn Roeder and continued to flourish in 2007/08 despite Newcastle's troubles. However, in August 2008 he handed in a transfer request and joined Aston Villa on a permanent basis soon after the start of the season.

He enjoyed his most successful season yet in his first year back at Villa Park. He was near-enough an ever-present in Martin O'Neill's first eleven and scored three goals in the 36 games he played. This fine form brought him to the attention of England manager Fabio Capello, who called him "the future, my future" in December 2008.