Fabian Hurzeler hails James Milner as Brighton star dedicates first goal to Diogo Jota
‘James Milner always has the belief’, says Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler.
On Sunday August 31, Brighton beat Manchester City 2-1 in a Premier League clash.
Haaland opened the scoring in the first half, but Milner’s cool head in the 67th minute put The Seagulls right back into the mix.
The former Liverpool man paid tribute to Diogo Jota in his celebrations after the Portuguese winger died this summer in a single-car collision.
Following on from that goal, Brighton pushed on and got a late winner thanks to Brajan Gruda.
Milner was solid off the bench, making a real impact and showing his quality. Brighton needed a result after a shock draw to Fulham and a loss against Everton.
In the post-match press conference after the game, the Brighton manager praised the 39-year-old.
Fabian Hurzeler said: “James Milner always has the belief, no matter who you are playing, that you can win the game.
"If you have people like that in your group, they spread belief to others. It is like a positive virus that goes to your teammates and then also to the crowd."
"He carried my messages, he carried my values in the group, and today he showed he is not only a great leader, he is also a player who takes responsibility in the right moments."
"His mentality is something special. It is the kind of mentality only real achievers in life have.
"He always has the belief inside him that he can achieve what he sets out to do, and that makes him a role model not only for football players, but for anyone dealing with difficult moments in life.
"You need to talk to James Milner because he has this mentality, this special thing inside that makes his personality so strong."
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, James Milner said: “Jots (Diogo Jota) meant so much to everyone… it’s an honour to wear his number this year and get on the scoresheet…
“I didn’t think I’d get too many goals this season but that’s probably the magic of his number on the shirt… hopefully there’s a few more goals to come this year.”
When asked about the celebration dedicated to Jota, Milner added: “I’ve seen him (Diogo Jota) do it, maybe it was a bad impression, but the many goals I’ve seen him score... I’m pretty sure that was one of them.”