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James Milner is convinced he made the right decision to quit Manchester City for Liverpool as he vowed to help Brendan Rodgers’ young side realise their full potential.

As Raheem Sterling prepares to head in the opposite direction in a record-breaking £49million deal, Milner has no regrets about turning his back on the Etihad Stadium following the end of his contract.

Some have questioned the wisdom of the England international giving up Champions League football to join a club who no longer operate among Europe’s elite.

But Milner says the challenge of restoring Liverpool to their former glory was part of the allure when Rodgers came calling for his signature.

“When I signed for City, the attraction of going there was that they had not won anything for a long, long time,” Milner said.

“I wanted to be a part of that and it’s a similar situation here. Liverpool have won so much over its great history but maybe over recent years they haven’t quite won what they’d like to. I see that opportunity again here to go and win.

“I saw the passion here when City were competing with them for the title two seasons ago. If you could win the title and other trophies here, it would be a fantastic place to do it.”

Milner clinched two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup during his five years at the Etihad.

City made him a lucrative contract offer in a bid to convince him to stay but money wasn’t the 29-year-old’s main motivation.

Tired of being viewed as a utility midfielder who was constantly shifted around to accommodate others, Milner wanted to join a club where he would be one of the first names on the teamsheet in his favoured central midfield role.

“It was a difficult decision because the fans were amazing with me at City,” he said. “City is also a great club to play football at but ‘playing football’ are the key words in that sentence.

“I spoke to Man City about the players they were looking to sign and where they saw me fitting into the team.

The manager thinks my best position is in the middle

“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.

“It’s one disappointment that I did not get the chance to maybe play 20 games in the middle at City and show people what I could do.

“It was very frustrating at times. There were times when I felt like I was left out of the team unfairly. But that’s football and you have to get on with it.

“There’s no guarantee that I’ll come here and play every game but the manager thinks my best position is in the middle.

“At times at City I won player of the month and then didn’t play for three, four or five games after. I feel here if I play well, I’ll keep the shirt. It’s down to me.

“It’s such a big club and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it. There’s a great opportunity here for us to do something great.”

Arsenal were also among a host of clubs bidding to secure Milner’s services but a meeting with Rodgers swung the balance Liverpool’s way.

After speaking to Brendan, I wanted to run through a brick wall for him

“Brendan had a massive role,” he said.

“Obviously the club does not need selling, but I spoke to the manager about his plans for the team and for myself. He knew a lot about me.

“After the conversation, I felt like I wanted to go and run through a brick wall for the manager and the club. He’s that sort of manager.

“It’s a huge club and Man City, maybe over the course of history, isn’t as quite as big as Liverpool.

“I could have easily stayed at City for another four or five years, being around the club, helping us win things. But over the next few years my game time would have reduced.

“When I’m older I want to look back and say that I became the best player I could.”

As well as trying to fill the midfield void left by Steven Gerrard’s departure to LA Galaxy, Milner also knows he has to instantly become a leader in the Liverpool dressing room.

With more than a decade of Premier League football under his belt following spells with Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Man City, he boasts a wealth of experience and has vowed to be a source of support and advice for new captain Jordan Henderson.

“Only one person can wear the armband, but you need so many leaders out there,” Milner said.

“It’s a big role for me coming in as a more experienced player and leading by example. You need those leaders all over the field and that’s massively important.

We've got a great chance of winning trophies

“The manager has spoken to me about that and he sees I can do that role. I’ve been around at this level since I was 16 and I’ve been lucky enough to win trophies.

“If I can use my experience to help the younger guys along that’s what I’ll do.

“There’s a lot of football left in me and hopefully I’ll be a part of a massively successful period.”

With Gerrard and Sterling both gone, Liverpool have lost their two top scorers from last season’s wretched campaign of under-achievement.

But Milner points to the business the Reds have already done this summer as a show of ambition and is bullish about their prospects for the campaign ahead.

“There’s a great squad here - a good mix of young English players and foreign players and a great coaching staff too,” he added.

“I’m not just coming here because I want to play more football, we’ve got a great chance of winning trophies. That’s what a club like Liverpool wants to do. The expectation and pressure is there to go on and win things.

“A lot of players have been brought in and the club is looking to move forward.

“You’re a long time retired, and when I’m sat there in my armchair when I’ve finished I don’t want to look back and have any regrets, wishing I’d done that tiny bit more or done this or that.

“Time does fly and you’ve got to enjoy it. I’m at that stage where I know I have to ensure I can look back at the end of my career and know that I have been the best I can, and couldn’t have given any more or been a better player.”