James Milner (centre) warms up with his new Liverpool team-mates during a training session in Bangkok

James Milner has spoken of his frustrations trying to get regular football at Manchester City - a timely reminder of the challenge facing Raheem Sterling.

Milner steps out as a Liverpool player for the first time in their pre-season tour in Thailand on Tuesday after opting to leave City where he spent five years battling to secure a starting place in the team.

At the same time, Sterling is expected to complete a medical and finalise his £49m transfer in the opposite direction, a record fee between two British clubs.

I wanted to play every single game and fight for a shirt and play that way, and I couldn’t see that happening at Man City. James Milner

"I thought at times at City I won Player of the Month and then didn’t play for three, four or five games after," Milner told The Independent. "I feel here [Liverpool] if I play well, I’ll keep the shirt. It’s down to me.

"That role of filling in, more when other people aren’t available, playing all over the field; I don’t think it lets you show your best football.”

Milner has been told by Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers that he considers central midfield to be the 29-year-old’s best position and depending on form, will mean he is stationed there from now on.

At Manchester City, he says he never got such an assurance. He was not played in his favoured role for any length of time, instead answering the call to play as a stop-gap in other positions and becoming considered a utility player.

"They saw me as a big part of the club," he said. "However, when we come to it, getting to finals and things like that, the default was for me not to play. That’s the way it was and I want to play as much as I can."

Desire

Hitting back at any who suggest his move to Liverpool from a club which has won the Premier League title twice in four seasons shows a lack of ambition on his part, Milner said: "I wouldn’t say so because I was at Man City for five years.

"I signed a contract for five years and I played for them for five years – I played every single position except for centre midfield so if that’s a lack of willing to fight for your place, then…"

He added: "The last year the manager knew my contract was running down but he played me right to the last games of the season, so that shows what the club thought of me, and how much I gave to that club, and the fight I gave to that club.

"So, I would probably disagree. I wanted to play every single game and fight for a shirt and play that way, and I couldn’t see that happening at Man City."

Milner shone in centre midfield during Aston Villa's 2009/10 campaign.

At Liverpool, Milner feels he can recapture the form he showed in 2009/10 at Aston Villa where he scored 12 goals in 49 appearances.

"You get labelled as a player – and I’m ‘Boring James Milner’, that’s the way it is,” he explained. “But I feel as though I can go and play like I did in that season at Aston Villa.

"I feel I am a better player now than I was then. So it’s a perfect opportunity to go and kick on with great players around me at a great club."