James Milner exclusive: 'Do you go until you lose the love for it?' - Brighton veteran admits 'really tough' decision over retirement is looming

Milner has known nothing but professional football for the best part of 25 years. Having made his senior debut for Leeds as a starry-eyed 16-year-old in 2002, boots have yet to be hung up more than two decades later.

An exclusive club of elite performers has been joined when passing his 40th birthday - emulating the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Teddy Sheringham, Luka Modric and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - but another 12-month deal at Brighton will come to a close in the summer.

The evergreen Yorkshireman, who has graced 656 matches in the English top-flight, has offered no indication that he is ready to call it quits - despite tentatively drawing up plans for a post-playing career in coaching.

A prominent role is still being enjoyed at the Amex Stadium, with vast experience being put to good use on and off the field. Milner has always been a poster boy for what can be achieved with the right work ethic.

He has been passing on some of that knowledge as part of Specsavers’ Best Worst Team - working with Warley FC, a side that registered one win and 18 defeats last season while conceding 81 goals - with the Premier League and Champions League title winner making the most of any opportunity to impart words of wisdom.

It remains to be seen how long he will be encouraging and supporting from a position on the field of play, with Milner telling GOAL when asked if the plan is to extend his career for as long as possible: “I think it's a really tough one. I think I'm undecided as well. I think things change very quickly in football anyway, especially when you get to my age and how things have changed in a year from where I was not being able to lift my foot to now I'm back playing in the Premier League and even a few months ago I wasn't getting too many minutes. I started a few games recently and we've won a few games, so things change very quickly and it's a tough decision. 

“Physically, I still feel good. Mentally, I feel good to keep going. But what do you do? Do you go until you can't physically go anymore? Do you go until you lose the love for it? Or do you stop before that point comes? No one knows when it comes, I suppose. 

“So I think it's a really tricky one and one that you have to take day by day and think about when options come and at the end of the season and see where we're at. But at this moment in time, physically, I'm very well looked after at the club in terms of the physios knowing exactly how much you need to do. I feel like I'm still contributing on the pitch and helping Brighton and that's always the most important thing to me. 

“I want to contribute on and off the field to the club and my team-mates, and that's what I'm focusing on at this time. Those decisions will come, I'm sure of that, but at this moment I'm just focusing on my day to day and trying to help Brighton.”

The Seagulls - with 10 wins, 10 draws and 10 defeats to their name this season - are not yet out of the race for European qualification in 2025-26. They will, however, need to finish with a flourish through their remaining eight fixtures - with the first of those set to see them play host to Liverpool on Saturday.

That game will mean plenty to Milner, as he holds special memories from the eight years that he spent at Anfield, but no favours will be offered by a man that has always prided himself on giving his absolute all to any given cause.

Warley FC's transformation is being documented by Specsavers in its ‘Best Worst Team’ YouTube series. Watch James Milner in episode 6 and subscribe to the Specsavers’ Best Worst Team YouTube Channel to follow the team's journey.