🎧'A Model professional'

BBCWed, Jun 3, 2026·1 min read

Following the news that highly-decorated 40-year-old midfielder James Milner announced his retirement from playing on Monday, Warren Aspinall reflected on his career with BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor.

The Seagulls finished 11th and eighth on two occasions while Milner was at the club, qualifying for Europe for next term which they will secure fully if they progress through Conference League qualifiers.

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Aspinall added: "You can say how fit he was and how he looked after himself but he still picked up little niggles. That's probably your body telling you enough is enough. Probably the family as well, his wife has put up with quite a lot and the children moving here and there, they've sacrificed a lot so I think it's time for him to sacrifice a bit for his family as well and be with them.

"We don't know what the next step for him is, probably in coaching somewhere along the line. He was always pushing himself and if he's pushing himself to the limits, he's asking his team-mates to do that and that's what he is.

"A model professional, teetotal and he has given everything up, more or less to have 24 years in the top flight."

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