Newcastle United winger James Milner has revealed just how close he came to joining Aston Villa in 2006.
The 22-year-old spent the whole 2005-06 season on loan at Villa Park and looked set to make a permanent transfer in the early days of Martin O’Neill’s reign.
The clubs even agreed a fee but when Milner drove from the North East and arrived at Bodymoor Heath he was told by O’Neill the St James’ Park club had ‘pulled the plug’.
Milner has gone on to become one of Newcastle’s most potent attackers and is an automatic selection in Kevin Keegan’s team – but in a fans' Q&A with the Evening Chronicle he described just how close he came to becoming a Villan.
“I came into training and it was the last day of the transfer window and the manager said 'We've accepted an offer for you.'
“So when a club says they don't want you it is pointless staying. I had been at Villa the year before so I was prepared to go because I wanted to play football.
“Everyone knows when a club accepts a bid it is pointless hanging around. I drove to Leeds, met my agent, spoke to my mum and dad briefly and then pulled into the Villa training ground.
“I got into Martin O'Neill's office and he then said that Newcastle had pulled the plug five minutes before. We had done a lot of driving for nothing, really. The deal was very close and I was annoyed at the time. But that's the way things happen.
"The most annoying thing was that I wasn't even on the bench for Newcastle's next game against Fulham. That one was pretty hard to take and I was annoyed. I was always happy to be at Newcastle but once a team accepts a bid, it's out of your hands.”
