Patrice Evra names Liverpool’s James Milner as toughest winger he’s faced

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Patrice Evra has told Monday Night Football on Sky Sports (broadcast on 21/10; 22:47) that Liverpool star James Milner was the toughest winger that he faced during his career.

Evra enjoyed an illustrious career. He played in five Champions League finals, won the Premier League five times and collected over 80 caps for France.

The 38-year-old is often mentioned when fans discuss the best left-backs of the Premier League era. And, perhaps surprisingly, he has named the Liverpool man as the player who gave him the most problems during his career.

“James Milner, only because he frustrated me,” he told Sky Sports when asked to name the toughest winger he has come up against. “I’m an attacking defender, and he was following me everywhere. And he was challenging me in the air. And I just got frustrated sometimes.

“I was talking to him sometimes, ‘just go and attack, leave me alone’. When I was playing the derby against Manchester City, I had him. He went to Liverpool, and I had him. So yeah, for me, the one who frustrated me the most was James Milner.”

It is a somewhat surprising answer. But that is perhaps because Milner has only really got the credit that he deserves since moving to Liverpool.

He has made over 500 appearances in the top flight. Milner has won the Premier League twice and helped the Reds to Champions League glory last season. It also looks as though he may get the chance to add a third league title this season.

And what is so impressive about Milner’s career is his versatility and longevity. Evra named him as the toughest winger he has faced. But it seems just as likely that a central midfielder from the current era could come to the same conclusion about the 33-year-old in the future.