'He is a remarkable athlete and person'

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Paul Barber pays tribute to James Milner who has retired after 24 seasons in the game, the last three with Albion.

2026-06-02T10:30+01:00

James Milner recovered from injury to play his part in Albion's successful push for European football. 📸 by James Boardman.

Chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber has paid tribute to James Milner, who announced his retirement after 24 seasons in the game on Monday.

“I was lucky enough to meet James for the first time in the early 2000s when I was with the FA and he was breaking into the England age group teams,” he said.

“To come full circle and work with him again nearly a quarter of a century later was just incredible. He was just like the James Milner I first met: he was hungry and he was determined to set standards.

“He wasn’t happy with everything we did - it had to be even better than it was at clubs he’d worked at with bigger resources than ours, but that’s why has been at the top for such a long time.

“Players like James are never satisfied, they keep pushing. This season we had a bad patch in terms of pushing for a European place but James wasn’t going to give it up. He had a good run in the side when we got our form back and then he got injured. Again, he had that determination to get fit and play his part in those last few games as well.

“He could be quite punchy in terms of feedback but he was always honest, it was from the heart and with the best intent to make things better.

“His support and encouragement for the younger players and staff, his determination to make our club better - he is a remarkable athlete and person.”