Fresh off a historic weekend in which he broke the Premier League appearances record, James Milner was asked a host of teammate-related questions, with Adam Lallana’s name brought up.
Milner has played with all 879 players to make over 100 Premier League appearances since he made his debut over two decades ago.
Astonishing longevity, which also makes him an especially interesting player to ask about former teammates. He has a lot of them.
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But out of them all, former Liverpool playmaker Lallana is the one he sees going far in the coaching world.
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Both Milner and Lallana were part of the Jurgen Klopp teams that dominated England and Europe in the late 2010s.
Mo Salah named Lallana as the most skilled of all his teammates back then, alongside Philippe Coutinho.
He was never physically imposing or gifted athletically, but the Englishman was nonetheless an effective Premier League player.
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It was his footballing brain that brought him all that success, and Milner reckons he can turn that IQ into a fruitful coaching career.
Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and James Milner win trophy for Liverpool
Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Answering quickfire questions with Sportbible, the 40-year-old was asked which teammate will be a future manager.
His response: “Adam Lallana. He’s really dived into his coaching. He hasn’t been finished that long but loves it, loves the game and is very knowledgeable.”
Lallana is currently in charge of Southampton Under 21s, the club where he got his start as a player. Now in his late thirties, he still has some way to go if he wants a manager role in the top flight, but he’s well on his way.
Four other Liverpool teammates get a mention from Milner
That manager question was one of many posed to the Brighton veteran.
When asked who the fastest he played with is, he gave the nod to Mo Salah. Even though Salah has looked off the pace for Liverpool this season, we all remember how devastating he and Sadio Mane were in transition.
He names Coutinho as his most skillful teammate, and says Jordan Henderson was the best communicator.
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You might remember Ibrahima Konate recalling a Liverpool fine for forgetting his passport last season. Well, he can blame Divock Origi, who Milner reveals was the reason those fines came into play after forgetting his on numerous occasions.
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