It was the controversial sale of Milner - strictly against the wishes of Toon gaffer Kevin Keegan - which is understood to have sparked yesterday's farcical scenes on Tyneside.
Milner The Cause Of The Madness?
It was the controversial sale of Milner - strictly against the wishes of Toon gaffer Kevin Keegan - which is understood to have sparked yesterday's farcical scenes on Tyneside.
Milner: "A lot has changed - Villa were quite a bit different when I was last here.
"The club is on the up and Gareth Barry has definitely taken his game to another level.
"You can see by his performances for England, and I think he has done very well for England when he has played.
"The first time I was here he was maybe in and out of the squad.
"That shows how far he has come and it is great for me and the other Villa players.
"With Gareth putting in the performances and being in and around the England set-up, he is going to be more confident.
"You don't realise how good he is until you train with him every day.
"But he also puts it in on the field and shows what a great player he is.
"Each year since I was last here Villa have got better and better and it is exciting times at the club.
"We want to keep improving - and improving means forcing our way into the top four."