Leeds United unearthed a gem in 1996 and he still earns £60k-a-week: View | OneFootball

With his retrospective longevity, James Milner has been one of Leeds' best academy graduates of all time.

He now boasts over 600 top-flight appearances but for James Milner, it all started for his hometown club, Leeds United.

Milner was born in Leeds and grew up as a fan of the club. "I'm Leeds through and through and always have been and always will be", he told liverpoolfc.com when he left the Anfield club last year.

In 1996, he joined the Whites' academy, at the age of 10, and while even then he was an extremely talented prospect, the club weren't to know the calibre of player they had unearthed.

He quickly progressed through the ranks due to his maturity, versatility and work ethic, making his first-team debut in 2002, at just 16 years old (becoming the second-youngest player to appear in the Premier League at the time).

On Boxing Day of that year, the midfielder scored in a 2-1 victory over Sunderland. To this day, he remains one of only three players to score a Premier League goal aged 16.

In September 2003, he would spend six games in the Second Division (now League One) with Swindon Town, scoring two goals. This remains his only time playing outside of England's top flight.

His return saw a further rise at Leeds, but the club's financial troubles led to his sale to Newcastle United in 2004, for a reported figure of £5 million.

Premier League journeyman

He would the next eight seasons establishing himself as a Premier League mainstay for both Newcastle and Aston Villa. During this time, the Yorkshireman was tenacious in his pursuit of international recognition, playing 46 times for England Under-21s, another record that remains to this day.

Finally, in August 2009, he made his senior England debut during a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands. He would go on to achieve 61 caps for the Three Lions and was included in four major tournament squads.

Things only got better from there, however, as a personal best of 12 goals in all competitions in 2009/10 earned Milner a £26 million move to the new money of Manchester City, which saw Stephen Ireland go the other way. He would go on to play over 200 times for the Citizens, winning two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup, and a League Cup.

Home away from home

Deemed surplus to requirements following the arrival of Kevin De Bruyne in 2015, he moved to Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool on a free transfer, though by October, his manager was a certain Mr. Klopp.

He would thrive as a utility player in a monumentally successful Scouse side, his eight assists en route to the 2018 Champions League final (popularly believed to be a record, however, he is actually one shy) helped make him a fan favourite.

With eight seasons and over 300 appearances, Liverpool was to be Milner's most permanent career home and one that meant a huge amount to him.

On leaving the Reds, he said: "I never thought a club [other than Leeds] would get to me as much as Liverpool has" - ensuring to mention his boyhood club in caveat.

Leaving the Reds a Champions League winner, whilst also adding another Premier League medal to his mantle, the 37-year-old joined Brighton, where one year later he still resides, collecting a reported £60,000-per-week.

An historic prospect

His humbled demeanor has always distracted from the fact that James Milner has one of the most impressive careers of any Englishman. With 637 Premier League appearances and counting, he is just 16 away from Gareth Barry's record and looks set to surpass it.

Leeds' academy has produced some iconic players over the years, Billy Bremner, Jack Charlton, and Gary Speed to name a few, though while he didn't stay at Leeds too long, it is hard to argue that Milner doesn't belong there-or-there-abouts amongst those great names.

In terms of the future, Archie Gray looks poised for a long and fruitful career at the pinnacle of the club game. Similarly versatile, the midfielder-cum-defender is far and away the best ex-Elland Road candidate to rival the esteemed career of his predecessor, but such is the longevity of James Milner, we'll have to wait another 22 seasons until we can properly compare.