Former England international Stuart Pearce has labelled Liverpool midfielder James Milner as the best pound-for-pound footballer in the Premier League.
The 5’8″ Reds ace [Source: Transfermarkt] has enjoyed a superb start to the season with his side, helping the Anfield outfit to sit at the very peak of England’s top flight, and it has clearly left Pearce extremely impressed.
“There’s a saying in boxing on who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” he told talkSPORT. “I think Milner is the best pound-for-pound footballer in the Premier League potentially there has been.
“I don’t think he’s been the best footballer by a million miles but you should throw everything into the mix like professionalism. He’s 32-years-old now and he’s ridiculously low maintenance and I’ve never seen one detrimental story about Milner in the papers. You just can’t keep him down. He will not go under,” he finished.
OPINION
This is a bold claim from Pearce, and perhaps he should have asserted that Milner was the most underrated player in Premier League history instead. Having said that, it’s hard to find anything bad to say about the 32-year-old. Milner has excelled wherever he’s been, and now he looks to be hitting his peak under Jurgen Klopp. For all the plaudits given to Sadio Mane, Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, it’s Milner who has been the key to Liverpool’s 100% start to the season. He has been a model of consistency throughout his career, and never gives his team less than 7/10. In terms of longevity and consistent week-to-week performance he is probably up there as one of the Premier League’s greatest. Pearce is probably a bit off with his claim, but the former Manchester City man has certainly had a wonderful career at the top level. The fact that Liverpool got him from City on a free is scarcely believable, and it was a terrific bit of business by the Reds. He’ll certainly go down as a Premier League great, but Pearce may have overstepped the mark just a little bit here.
