James Milner: An Unlikely Certainty for the Plane to Brazil

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: October 15, 2013

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James Milner is an international enigma. He splits debate amongst England fans. Some think he is a valuable utility player that is an essential commodity at a major tournament, but some cannot see what he adds to an England side that looks to be heading down the route of pace and creativity.

Ask Roy Hodgson, however, and he'd probably be in the first group of thought. Believe it or not, Milner is likely to be one of the first names Hodgson will pencil in next year for the trip to the World Cup.

Milner's case for a spot on the trip is a curious one at first glance because his career at club level appears to have stagnated. The money Manchester City spent on him was entirely justified at the time, and he broke through into the international setup initially due to his sparkling form at Aston Villa. He was beginning to justify the hype that had accompanied his explosion onto the scene as a 16-year-old at Leeds.

The problem with moving to a club like City at a time when they were spending money like it was going out of fashion was painfully obvious. A dip in form from Milner—or anyone for that matter—and they would be out of the team for another signing.



Milner is incredibly versatile, though, and an incredibly solid and reliable player. Whilst that may not appeal to club level—especially when you have the likes of Yaya Toure, Fernandinho, David Silva and many more in your ranks—it is something that strikes a chord with Roy Hodgson.

The England manager is without doubt a fan of the midfielder, and the stats show that Milner is almost a certainty to be on the plane to Brazil—barring injury of course.

Tuesday's victory over Poland which secured qualification to the World Cup was Hodgson's 22nd game in charge of England. Only Joe Hart (20) has played more times than Milner (19) under Hodgson. No other outfield player has turned out for the nation...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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