Premier League - Milner wants out of Toon

Eurosport - Wed, 27 Aug 18:34:00 2008

James Milner has handed in a written transfer request to Newcastle United amid rumours of a return to Aston Villa.

2008-2009 Premier League Newcastle United James Milner - 0

The England Under-21 player was in outstanding form on Tuesday evening, scoring in a 3-2 Carling Cup victory over Coventry City.

However, he has since told the club he feels his future lies away from St James' Park.

Newcastle described themselves as "very disappointed" but said they had not accepted a bid for the winger.

A statement said: "He is a valued member of the squad and it is only a year ago that he signed an improved long-term contract.

"We have yet to receive an offer for James that has matched our valuation of him.

"However, should such an offer be received then the club would be reluctantly forced to consider it, given James's apparent desire to leave."

Milner has made 136 appearances for the Magpies since joining from Leeds United in 2004, and spent the 2005/06 season on loan at Villa Park.

After Tuesday's game, Keegan paid tribute to Milner and suggested he should be included in the full England squad.

"James Milner has played too many Under-21 games, he's very underrated and needs to make the step up now," Keegan said.

Milner would be the final part of an impressive spending spree from Martin O'Neill's Villa, who have already signed the English trio Nicky Shorey, Luke Young and Steve Sidwell, along with defender Carlos Cuellar and Amercian goalkeepers Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

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  1. lol who gave me a thumbs down for suggesting Newcastle­ tries to replace Milner with Bystrov - do you know who­ Bystrov is? He makes Milner look like Sunday league.­ The hardest thing would be pulling him away from his­ club without alerting the top 4.

    From Sleepy-Jazz, on Thu 28 Aug 11:29AM

  2. risinangel_2007xxx would appear to be yet another­ deluded Mackem. If you can't spell SIGN how do you­ expect to make any SIGNINGS and as for STRENGTH­ Sunderland will have to be the strongest club in the­ Premiership as they will be supporting the rest of the­ premiership from the bottom. Gazhare would also appear­ to be suffering from the same delussional condition and­ lack of spelling ability. Chopra barely saw a game in a­ Black & White shirt and as for having won trophies­ does the Championship really count as a trophy as you­ have to get relegated first to win it? unless of course­ you are talking about the FA cup you won in 1970­ something. Sunderland will get into Europe but only if­ they buy a ticket on the Brittanny Ferry like all the­ other tourists.

    From Phil, on Thu 28 Aug 8:09AM

  3. its ok toons! we dont need him!

    From brightcalvin, on Thu 28 Aug 6:43AM

  4. Good start to the season. Manager telling everyone you­ are underrated. Manager and board talking about­ contracts this week. Put in a transfer request. Sit­ down with manager to "Iron out the problems".­ Come away with a new and improved contract. Works far­ too many times.

    From John, on Thu 28 Aug 3:38AM

  5. why not sighn for sunderland join a team who are going­ from strength to strengh

    From risinangel_2007xxx, on Thu 28 Aug 12:56AM

  6. go to liverpool m8

    From Terry, on Thu 28 Aug 12:03AM

  7. 'Gazhare' you stupid unwashed @#$%.You havent­ got a clue,you muppet

    From johnbarrass, on Wed 27 Aug 11:10PM

  8. haha. he'd do just as bad at newcastle, if not­ worse.

    villa have a good team this year, having picked­ up cuellar.

    From cityofmillions, on Wed 27 Aug 10:18PM

  9. Milner !
    If u dont like us (NUFC, Club and Fans) then­ you can go away !
    I am sure that most of the fans and­ players dont want to play with a player who dosnt want­ to play with them of play for them (the fans)
    Until an­ Hour ago, I did like you very much ! I think you are in­ a good way of being a proffesional excellent player.­
    Even your Coach thinks so, As he recomended you to the­ England team.

    A move to Aston villa will destroy your­ soccer career as a player.

    I am sure you can get more­ (And NUFC will pay more) in Newcastle United !
    Are you­ comparing Aston Villa to Newcastle?

    I am very­ disapointed at you.
    Thank you very much milner..

    Go­ to Aston.. Goodbye and Shalom !

    From eladb, on Wed 27 Aug 9:12PM

  10. i would be gutted to see milner leave he is pure class­ and very underated, but if he is gonna go we shud make­ villa pay the highest price 4 him

    From matt, on Wed 27 Aug 6:56PM

  11. Milner will be difficult to replace - how about­ Vladimir Bystrov?

    From Sleepy-Jazz, on Wed 27 Aug 6:00PM

  12. and when he becomes a man where will he go then!!--MIL ­ AN.
    geordie jack.

    From jnparkin4, on Wed 27 Aug 5:33PM

  13. point taken "charles" but to be fair he aint­ a goal scorer. as for bottom half, i think not, least­ we are making steady progress. how many managers you­ been through?! none of em do any good and most dont­ even make it til xmas. i seem to remember you being­ awfully close to the drop zone last season - wasnt it­ 4-1 at villa park?! i think we took your shoddy defence­ apart didnt we?! wasnt that result off the back of a 6­ goal drubbing at old trafford?! fair enuff you got a­ point against man utd reserves but one or two results­ dont make you any better than you where last year!!

    From jbagz06, on Wed 27 Aug 4:48PM

  14. damned shame that he has decided 2 games into the­ season to put in a transfer request
    he is a good player­ & definately 1 for the future, & has started­ very brightly - personally i think that he should­ choose the scally's rather than the­ villians
    however now we have a very short time to get­ in a better calibre of player - swp is the only player­ who immediately springs to mind - any other geordies­ have any ideas?

    From CARL, on Wed 27 Aug 4:19PM

  15. sell Milner to a foreign club. Selling him to Villa for­ what they are offering and considering he has a 4 year­ contract - no chance. Villa needs to up the price a­ hell of a lot or forget it and I can't see them­ being able to afford Milner. Sunderland won't spend­ that kind of money either - in fact Milner going to­ Sunderland would be a good laugh, be his second club­ that he has been with that has gone down. The only­ improvement Milner will see is if he joins a top 4 club­ and then chances are he will be on the bench half of­ the season as cover. Says alot about a player who puts­ in a transfer request after being promised attacking­ football - maybe Milner sees himself as a rightback. As­ for Owen leaving - who cares, he only plays a couple of­ weeks before England games.

    From Sleepy-Jazz, on Wed 27 Aug 4:17PM

  16. Prince William's a Villa fan doesn't sound like­ Charles is !!!

    From astonbilla, on Wed 27 Aug 3:56PM

  17. Lets be honest here "jbagzo6", Martin O`Neil­ and the Villa have one thing in common, they are both,­ well basically dogs dirt, I mean O`Neil is the same as­ "Poohness" everything was won in the Scotish­ League, we shall see where the "Villians" are­ at Xmas,I suspect in the bottom half where you always­ will be with your boring fans and "One song of­ Villa!Villa,Villa,even worse than England when it comes­ to songs,drum,drum,Villa, you have just be done off­ Stoke City for heavans sake,true Milner is a good­ player, a one in ten scorer,anything above 8mill and­ youve been done! Even our Mackam cousins are more­ vibrant than you lot, and thats saying something!

    From Charles, on Wed 27 Aug 3:48PM

  18. all you scallys shut yer gobs ya know where he's­ goin, there's only one messiah nd he's at­ villa, u lot should by know by now jealously gets u­ nowhere,i tell ya what geordies we will play fair u can­ ave knight cracking defender as long as the balls up­ the other end of the pitch

    From , on Wed 27 Aug 3:39PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    COME JOIN SUNDERLAND THE BEST TEAM IN THE NORTH EAST,­ FOLLOW CHOPRA WHO SORE THE LIGHT AND FILL THE RIGHT­ WING SLOT AT OUR PLACE AND JOIN A CLUB WHO HAS WON­ TROPHYS AND HAS DRIVE AND AMBITION PUSH FOR EUROPE WITH­ US RATHER THEN FIGHT THE RELEGATION DOG FIGHT WITH THE­ BARCODES YOU NO IT MAKES SENSE

    PS YOU WONT HAVE TO­ MOVE HOUSE EITHER

    From gazhare, on Wed 27 Aug 3:21PM

  20. Pre season and the start of this years league...­ he's been very impressive.. he's like wayne­ Rooney but slightly shiter.... but defo one for the­ future... give him a year or 2 and he'll be at one­ of the big four!! mark my words!!!

    From 2_tone, on Wed 27 Aug 2:59PM
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