Aston Villa: I don't want to lose James Milner - Martin O'Neill
Jul 14 2010 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
MARTIN O’Neill has revealed for the first time his determination to keep James Milner despite admitting Villa face a tough task fending off Manchester City.
Villa are braced for an improved bid from City after rejecting an opening £20 million offer before Milner went on World Cup duty with England last month.
O’Neill is eager to retain the midfield talisman who became an integral part of his team last season, but acknowledges it will be hard if Milner wants to leave.
The former Leeds and Newcastle favourite, who is currently on an extended holiday, was non-committal about his future when questioned on international duty. As Villa expected, Milner put talks on hold about a bumper new contract when he met O’Neill, chairman Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner last month.
Speaking for the first time since rejecting City’s bid for Milner and asked if he was hopeful of keeping the 24-year-old star, O’Neill said: “Well, I don’t know about that.
“Eventually if players do want to leave the football club, or any football club for that matter, then it becomes more difficult than ever before.
“But what I will say is we have a better chance of performing in the manner in which we did last season if we could keep the best players and James Milner comes into that equation.”
