James Milner's Impending Man City Exit Hard to Begrudge Considering Misuse

The news Manchester City fans have been dreading appears to be edging ever closer, as James Milner looks set to leave the club in the summer when his contract ends, according to Jamie Jackson writing in the Guardian.

Jackson suggests Milner’s bit-part role is the principle reason for him favouring a move away, with his lack of opportunities in central-midfield another strong contributing factor.

Add to that the opportunity to land a substantial signing-on fee, and the idea of a new start, possibly away from the Premier League, is becoming increasingly attractive to Milner.

He has started 13 games this season, which, although more involved than last season, is still unlikely to be seen as enough for a player with Milner's quality.

Much of the damage was arguably done last season, Manuel Pellegrini’s first in charge at the Etihad, when the City boss badly underused and undervalued the midfielder.

Too many times last season an inferior player was used when Milner was fully fit and ready to play, with Javi Garcia the club’s default option to come in and play in City's midfield when either Yaya Toure or Fernandinho were rested or unavailable.

And with Fernando consistently chosen ahead of him in central-midfield this season as well, Milner appears to have accepted that his chances of nailing down a regular first-team role in the position he favours appear somewhat limited at City.

At 29, Milner has one last big contract left in him, and the signing on fee, surely, is attractive. However, far more important to a player like Milner, a teetotal fitness fanatic who has proven to be one of the finest professionals in the game, will be the opportunity to increase his chances of starting regularly in the role he sees as his best.

If a side like Liverpool, or, indeed, an Italian side like Milan, Inter or Roma, who appear to be showing interest, offered him regular football and a chance to showcase his talent from a more influential central role, that is likely to be the deciding factor for Milner.

With Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard no longer in the international picture after their retirements, Milner is probably eyeing up a midfield role in England’s starting XI. The only way he can nail down that position is to play their regularly at club level.

He is a massively under-appreciated player by fans outside of the clubs he has played for but successive England managers have seen through the negative perception that he is a technically limited player and used him regularly. The positional sense and his understanding of the game make him too important to keep on the sidelines.

But that’s what Pellegrini has so often done. When City have a fully fit squad, Milner isn’t a guaranteed starter, which is fair enough given the midfield options available to them, but given his almost unblemished fitness record he should have started far more games than he has done in the last two seasons.

He is versatile and freakishly fit, something which endeared him to Roberto Mancini and Fabio Capello, and, more recently, Roy Hodgson. Quite why he has been so under-appreciated by Pellegrini is something of a mystery.

City fans will point to his increased role this season as proof of Pellegrini’s trust in the player, but perhaps the damage has already been done. Underused and too often used out of position, fitting in wherever necessary, he has been a victim, possibly, of his own versatility and professionalism.

If he does leave, it also further underlines City’s homegrown quota issue. Their squad is hardly packed with players who fulfill the criteria, and if Milner were to exit the situation would be exacerbated further. They will need to sign homegrown players in the summer or promote some from their academy to meet the criteria.

Club officials will still be hoping a deal can be struck, but as time moves on, the possibility Milner will depart for free becomes ever more likely.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.