Liverpool midfielder James Milner to don the Man City jersey once again for Vincent Kompany testimonial
James Milner will wear a Manchester City shirt for the first time since leaving the club for Liverpool when he takes part in Vincent Kompany’s testimonial next week.
The midfielder is one of many former City players who will go up against a Premier League All-Stars XI, managed by Roberto Martinez, to celebrate Kompany’s successful 11 years at the Etihad.
When is Kompany’s testimonial and who is playing? Five things to know…
- Kompany’s testimonial takes place on Wednesday 11 September at the Etihad Stadium.
- Pep Guardiola will manage Kompany’s team, named ‘Manchester City Legends’.
- At his disposal he will have the likes of Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli.
- Roberto Martinez will manage the opposition, named ‘Premier League All-Stars XI’.
- Players in the squad include Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Cesc Fabregas, Ryan Giggs and Thierry Henry.
Pep Guardiola will be in charge of Kompany’s Man City Legends XI, which will include the likes of Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli.
Four of Manchester United’s ‘Class of 92’ – Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs – will play for the the Premier League All-Stars XI. Michael Carrick, Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry will also feature.
Milner made 203 appearances for City, winning two Premier League titles before joining Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer of 2015.
But the evening will be all about Kompany, who joined Anderlecht as player-manager this summer after winning four league titles and two FA Cups during his time in England.
The full squads for the testimonial are as follows:
Manchester City Legends: Joe Hart, Costel Pantilimon, Vincent Kompany, Aleksandar Kolarov, Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, Kolo Toure, Pablo Zabaleta, Richard Dunne, Gael Clichy, Nigel De Jong, Samir Nasri, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland, David Silva, Dietmar Hamann, James Milner, Craig Bellamy, Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli, Benjani.
Premier League All-Stars XI: Edwin van der Sar, Shay Given, Phil Neville, Gary Neville, John O’Shea, Wes Brown, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Rafael van der Vaart, Cesc Fabregas, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie.
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Milner not the first to don rival shirt
Seeing Milner back in a sky-blue shirt might take some getting used to at first, particularly for Liverpool supporters. But the former England international won’t be the first to don the first of a rival club in a testimonial.
Tottenham hero Paul Gascoigne once wore an Arsenal strip to play in Paul Merson’s testimonial. Gazza has also featured in the colours of Leicester City and Coventry City in celebratory matches for some of his ex-teammates.
Then there’s John Terry, who was renowned for his love of pulling on the full kit during his playing days – even if it wasn’t Chelsea. Terry joined Frank Lampard by wearing West Ham claret-and-blue in Tony Carr’s testimonial in 2010.
It didn’t even take a testimonial for Jamie Carragher to switch allegiances. The ex-Liverpool defender, who grew up as an Everton fan, finally donned some Toffees gear when interviewing Romelu Lukaku in 2017.
Interview & training with Lukaku coming now on @SkySportsNewsHQ pic.twitter.com/hCUL5eaRK3
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) February 28, 2017
