This isn’t an entirely new piece of news, I’m not even sure you could classify it as news as it’s more fan led speculation in reality, but there’s certainly a groundswell amongst the Elland Road faithful that a return for James Milner could be on the cards should Leeds United manage to gain promotion to the Premier League this year.
It bases itself mainly on the fact that our Academy graduate from all those years ago is yet to sign a new deal at current club Liverpool and come the summer the 32-year-old will be out of contract and available as a free agent.
Fans talking about Milner on social media has been a regular occurrence over the summer and once unsubstantiated claims (at least based on my searches) of him reportedly being more than open to a return if Premier League football was on the cards broke, some sections of Twitter went into a meltdown over the possibility.
Let's get promotion first but wonderful if its true.
— WotzThatSound (@WotzThatSound) September 26, 2018
Now that would be a signing….leeds through and through ALAW
— Mark Beattie (@markbeattie75) September 26, 2018
If Liverpool win the Champions League this year so he has the full set of club medals then I think, then you could see it perhaps.
— A Programme About Art (@haydnandrew) September 26, 2018
He’s one of the best players in EPL at moment, in fine form !
For mine, shudda been at the WC !— Jah Wild (@WildWhite65) September 26, 2018
3 words that’ll make me cry next summer, “MILNER REJOINS LEEDS”
— Joey B Eddison (@JBEddison) September 26, 2018
Not sure why he's only been spoken about in the media the last year or so. Every Leeds and Villa fan absolutely loves the guy.
— Daniel O'Sullivan (@danosulli44) September 26, 2018
Be over the moon if he came in January instead
— H.LUFC (@ellyoueffcee) September 26, 2018
If reports are true re: Milner wanting to join Leeds on a free if we get promoted then that makes this season even more crucial that we get promoted. No recently promoted club would ever attract a player of his caliber. Wow. #lufc
— ???????????? Chaz Cole (@chaz_coleman) September 26, 2018
Given the career he’s had, his engine showing no signs of shutting down – it would be a nice way to square that circle as he was taken from us way too early when he got the move to Newcastle, so it would definitely be a good way for him to bring the curtain down on his career and dare I say, looking further forward, a role with the Academy itself given his attitude and approach to football could be a match made in heaven.