03 Nov 2020 13:12:35
Ed, what gives James Milner such a strong engine even at his age do you think? Would you say it is just something he has been born with or the way he has looked after his body over the years?

{Ed001's Note - it is hard work and clean living.}

03 Nov 2020 13:17:22
I don't understand why all footballers don't follow suit. It's a short career, why not put everything you can into it. Plenty of time for candy and coke afterwards!

03 Nov 2020 13:21:05
Ribena is his nectar.

03 Nov 2020 13:23:25
Part of it is genetics, some people break down quicker.

{Ed001's Note - if you don't work at it and live right, genetics will not help you.}

03 Nov 2020 13:31:03
He ate his greens as a boy like a glass of calcium!

03 Nov 2020 13:54:37
Living a clean life 100% plays a part but physiology (lactate threshold, VO2 Max and running economy) will also play a massive part. People with a naturally high VO2 max often find it easier to run faster and longer because their hearts can deliver more oxygen to their muscles. Obviously there are ways to train the heart to pump blood at a higher rate but due to genetics you can only train your heart (muscle) to its limit. Another factor will be injuries as well and the fact (i might be wrong) that he hasn't really had any major ones or continuous muscle, tendon or ligament niggles or damage. In layman terms Milner is a bit of a freak.

03 Nov 2020 14:02:08
Plus he drinks his milk, takes his vitamins and says his prays hulk Hogan style.

{Ed025's Note - and his crap smells of roses by the sounds of it JK.. :)

03 Nov 2020 14:07:30
Ed025 never been fond of roses myself mate. Much prefer quality streets.

{Ed025's Note - Gwladys street.....now thats a quality street mate.. :)

03 Nov 2020 14:10:47
That's the way I look at it as well Robbie mate.

03 Nov 2020 14:32:43
Robbiesline - just think of the amount of money these guys have earned by the time they are in their early 20s. The off-field temptations must be unending. It takes a rare personality to avoid all of that and simply focus on becoming the best player you can. Lots of professionals do follow very clean lifestyles these days, but I’d imagine many still do not. Milner can look back and say he got everything out of his career that his talent would allow.

03 Nov 2020 15:13:47
Who wants to do any of that healthy stuff? That takes hardwork and dedication. Does it look like some of these spoilt, entitled young guns want to do any of that right now?

03 Nov 2020 18:31:39
I’d imagine, give most people on here 50k a week, girls chucking themselves at them, adulation and grief galore over social media/ red top papers/ on here, being called spoilt for acting like the children they actually are, and all by the age of 18 or 19, they’d be exactly the same, if not worse.

03 Nov 2020 18:24:27
I definitely think that some athletes have certain inherent weaknesses or dispositions to certain injuries, hamstrings being a prime example. Pulisic tore his at full tilt, and I said at the time that he’d be forever plagued with those issues.
Lo and behold, he’s out again with a hamstring injury.

{Ed025's Note - thanks doctor juicer.. :)

03 Nov 2020 20:22:41
The toughest time is as a kid lowell. When all your mates are drinking white cider and smoking cheap cigarettes/ herbal cigs and getting laid. That's when temptation is the strongest.

I had a mate who was brilliant at football, played for the local school of excellence. Was strong, quick. Had everything. And he was popular, everyone liked him, including the girls. And he held off until he was about 14/ 15. Then one day I bumped into him, can of Stella in one hand, j in the other. I think he still played semi pro.

And of you have sacrificed that part of your life we hg throw it away at 24?