Milner focused on England

02 June 2014 21:17

James Milner is not getting caught up in the speculation over his Manchester City future and does not believe his England team-mates are being distracted either.

The 28-year-old is reportedly looking for a move away from the Etihad Stadium this summer in search of first-team football, with Arsenal and Liverpool among those interested.

Milner is one of several England players with unclear club futures, with Frank Lampard a prime example having confirmed his Chelsea exit on Monday.

Adam Lallana is another, having reportedly told Southampton he is keen to move on after the World Cup, and teenage left-back Luke Shaw is attracting interest from Manchester United.

"That's football, how quickly things move," Milner said of the transfer talk. "We've had a great season with Man City, won the title and had five or six days to enjoy it and then it is gone, forgotten about and I'm concentrating on the World Cup.

"Once the World Cup is done, you are trying to win the league again so unfortunately you don't have that long to enjoy things.

"But football moves quickly and at this moment in time the only thing is the World Cup.

"You don't get too many opportunities to play in a World Cup in your life. It is an amazing spectacle and everyone in the squad is really excited and looking forward to that."

Milner and his England team-mates arrived in Florida on Sunday evening for the latest chapter of their World Cup preparations.

The weather was not too kind to them on the first day in Miami, with the City midfielder joking the stormy conditions were "pretty similar to back home in Manchester".

However, Milner was quick to dispel suggestions that the weather derailed Monday's session - "Everything we were going to do on the pitch we did in the gym anyway" - and believes preparations are going well for Brazil.

"Every squad changes with the players who are in it and obviously the managers change over the years so every squad is going to feel completely different," he said.

"But I think there is a great mix in there, with the younger players and five or six of us who have been to a World Cup before who can help the younger lads as well.

"I think there's a great mix, everybody is really focused and ready to go and there is a real professional feel around the squad.

"Everybody knows exactly what is expected of them and, like I said, the preparation has been second to none.

"We've covered every base so the lads are raring to go and with two games to go it is perfect now in these conditions leading to go over to Brazil."

Source: PA