James Milner is a fitness fanatic who follows a strict dietary regime so the irony of the dinner to celebrate his signing for Liverpool won’t be lost.
In early 2015, with his contract running down at Manchester City, many clubs were pursuing him, one being Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone is a fan and the idea of move to La Liga intrigued Milner, who taught himself to speak Spanish fluently so he could converse in City’s dressing room.
City didn’t want to lose someone who had played a key role in helping usher in an era of success at the club but they came up against a serious counter offer.