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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hailed James Milner as the “perfect professional” as he backed him to remain at the top level for another six years.

Klopp believes Milner will go on and emulate Everton midfielder Gareth Barry, who he will face at Goodison in the Merseyside derby on Monday night. Barry is still playing in the Premier League at 35 and penned a new deal this week.

Milner has shone at left-back for the Reds so far this season after Klopp made the decision to move him from his usual midfield role.

“He’s had a really impressive career until now and still has a long time to go. For sure he has five or six really good years to go,” Klopp said.

“I know Milly and he always wants to play. It’s much too early to speak about coaching, I think he should concentrate on what happens on the pitch.

“He is certainly in the top five professionals I have worked with.

“I have been very lucky to surround myself with great professionals, but Milly is 100 per cent in the top five. Yes, he is the perfect professional.

“From the outside, it looks a difficult transition – to come from a wide position or central midfield to specialist role at full-back. But James is football-smart, has good instincts and is quick, so he is good.

“It says more about his quality to make that switch. It would not have been the smartest decision if he said he didn’t want to do it. People say he doesn’t look like a left-back because most of the time they are defensive-minded, but a lot of time he is running into spaces looking to attack.

“We didn’t want to make him a left-back, we only want someone who can have an influence on the game from this position. That is why we thought it might be a good idea. He has had to deal with situations like this in a long career already. He was open and I was not surprised by that.”

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Klopp also dismissed the idea that the Reds’ vice-captain is anything like the ‘Boring James Milner’ parody account on Twitter.

“I heard this once. But it could not be further from the truth,” Klopp added.

“He is a proper English professional. With the humour and – what do you say? – big mouth! He is a very funny person. I have no idea where it came from. But perhaps it is about having the same haircut since he was at Leeds!

“He has already been part of nice football stories. When I heard that Liverpool had signed him, I thought it was really good and that was at a time I had no idea that I would be part of his football development.

“I know Milly and he wants to play always. Maybe that was not the case at City and it made sense to leave.”