Venables salutes ‘special’ Milner
Milner, who became the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer with the equaliser in Leeds’ 2-1 win at Sunderland on Boxing Day, again stole the show and the headlines against Chelsea on Saturday.
With Leeds having taken a 30th-minute lead courtesy of centre-back Jonathan Woodgate’s first goal for two years, Milner was then immediately pushed on as a replacement for Harry Kewell who had sustained a dead leg.
Then on the stroke of half time came Milner’s moment of magic as he first left World Cup winner and Chelsea skipper Marcel Desailly trailing in his wake before curling a spectacular 18-yard right-foot finish beyond Ed de Goey.
Milner was immediately buried beneath celebrating team-mates as they all piled on top of him, with his goal ultimately giving the Whites their first home league win since September 14.
Venables, whose side have now taken 10 points from the last 12 to ensure Christmas has been a very happy one, was left beaming as he said: “I’m delighted with the game, in fact with the last few games. We played some good football, playing as a unit, and there’s a nice little story about a very special young man. He (Milner) is a very good player, no doubt about it.
“He is a fine young fellow. The sort of guy you want to be involved in your football club and in your squad.
“He is the kind of person who will make it better for longer, the sort of solid character which we already have many of here at Leeds.”
Despite Leeds’ current unbeaten run, Venables is refusing to get carried away as he added “as soon as you think you have turned a corner your end up hitting something coming round that corner.
“But the confidence is back. Results give you that confidence and then that gives you the ability to take the ball under all situations.
“I think the team have been playing well for quite a while now, it just that we haven’t had the rub of the green, but we have had one or two lucky breaks recently, and that’s helped with our confidence which in turn has led to us playing good football.
Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri also had praise for Milner who will celebrate his 17th birthday next Saturday by signing a contract which will earn him £800 per week in comparison to his current apprentice salary of £80 per week.
“He was fantastic,” exclaimed Ranieri. “He is quick, clever, has two good feet and well done to him, but I think it is important to leave him calm and let Terry handle him.”
The defeat ended Chelsea’s 11-match unbeaten league run from which they had previously taken 25 points to push leaders Arsenal hard.
But come the New Year’s Day clash with the Gunners they could find themselves seven points adrift should Arsene Wenger’s side beat Liverpool tomorrow.
Ranieri conceded that making seven changes to the team held to a goalless draw by Southampton on Boxing Day had been a mistake.
“The result was right,” added Ranieri. “Leeds deserved to win because they played tight, compact football and were good on the counter-attack.
“I made seven changes and looking back now it was wrong but before these last two matches I didn’t think that would be the case.
“I have 18 good players in fantastic condition and, in playing two games in three days, I thought I would be able to make changes, but we have only won one point so it was a mistake.”
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