James Milner is talking deeply about his character, expounding on his stubborn streak when he casually mentions that he speaks to his children only in Spanish. What?! Many parents struggle to get through in English. Milner was determined to learn Spanish, wants his kids to follow suit and, when he sets his mind to something, nothing stops him. “I’m a pretty stubborn bastard!” Milner laughs.

Stubbornness is a key trait in Milner’s successful career but he’s so much more than that. Sitting on a hotel terrace in Marbella, Liverpool’s pre-Kiev retreat, the 32-year-old makes insightful company and is now a social media icon with a series of deliciously self-mocking posts about ironing, measuring mini-eggs and Ribena. The world has finally realised what a genuinely funny,