James Milner has revealed the extent of his nightmare injury lay-off, admitting he feared he might never walk properly again after a routine knee operation went wrong. The 39-year-old Brighton midfielder returned as a late substitute in Sunday's draw at Tottenham, ending a nine-month absence that saw him unable to move his foot for months.
Milner required a knee reconstruction after being forced off at Arsenal last August, but nerve damage to a tendon during the procedure left him with a flicker of movement only on New Year's Eve. 'After the operation, I couldn't lift my foot or my toes,' he said. 'It was just a bit of bad luck – one in however many thousand.'
The veteran, who turns 40 in January, admitted the complication was not age-related but cast doubt on his future. 'There was a chance I might not have come back at all. I didn't know whether I could walk properly again let alone play football. I don't think many people would have come back from this.'
Milner's comeback took him to 638 Premier League appearances, just 15 short of Gareth Barry's record. Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler values his experience, and the midfielder is close to signing a one-year contract extension. 'I would like to keep playing,' Milner said. 'I've definitely got another year left in me.'
