Mikey Stafford 

Milner relishes international duty after Villa’s slump

James Milner is relieved to be on international duty after Aston Villa's defeat at Liverpool
  
  

James Milner
James Milner says Aston Villa must quickly recover from the defeat by Liverpool, although their next Premier League game is against Manchester United Photograph: Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar Photograph: Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar

James Milner is happy to turn his attentions to international duty this week after a horrendous run of results for Aston Villa culminated with the 5-0 drubbing by Liverpool last Sunday. The midfielder is likely to add to his record number of Under-21 caps against Norway and France having dropped back down to the under-age squad after being called up by Fabio Capello for the senior friendly with Spain last month.

Milner was philosophical about Villa's third consecutive league defeat – their fifth in six games – saying how Martin O'Neill's team respond to their recent slump in form is the important thing. "To lose a game like that is very disappointing but that's what football is all about, you have your ups and downs and it is as much about how you deal with the downs as anything," the 23-year-old said. "You've got to recover from those games and bounce back and show character and get on with it."

His Aston Villa team-mate, Gabriel Agbonlahor, has had to pull out of today's friendly in Norway through injury – along with the Manchester City defender Micah Richards – but Milner is looking forward to earning his 41st and 42nd Under-21 caps before returning to club duty rejuvenated.

"We've got two important international games this week and then we're back into it again, so we'll just take it a game at a time. I'm with the Under-21s at the moment so I'm going to concentrate on these two games and then go back to my club and start again, if you like. It's how you learn from these games and take it into the next."

Milner has not played for Stuart Pearce's team since the October European qualifying play-off victory over Wales but is guaranteed to feature at the finals in Sweden in June. Despite curtailing his summer break Milner is relishing the prospect and does not think fatigue will be an issue, thanks to O'Neill's understanding regime at Villa Park. "Rest is a massive thing as well, I'm very lucky to be playing at a club where the manager is very aware of that – he's going to give you the time off and the rest you need also."

If the right-sided midfielder was crestfallen having been dropped from Capello's squad after one outing as an unused substitute in Seville he was disguising it well with a desire for European success: "Of course you want to be in the senior squad, that's the natural progression, but these two games for the under-21s are massively important before a big tournament, everyone involved in this squad wants to go there and win it."

 

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