Milner has Albion teen ace hooked on yoga as he reveals his fitness regime

Brighton and Hove Albion FC Football Sport

James Milner has got a teenage team-mate hooked on yoga as he keeps himself in great shape for the Premier League.

The Albion midfielder is expected to return on Saturday for the long haul to Sunderland.

Milner is likely to be jeered by home fans given his association with Newcastle.

But he will ignore that and aim to help his side to a third win in four.

Milner, who does not drink alcohol, has kept sharp at the age of 40 and has a disciplined routine which makes full use of the excellent facilities at the training base in Lancing.

And his love of yoga has been picked up by young forward Charalampos Kostoulas.

Asked his daily routine, Milner said: “I always have breakfast at the club.

James Milner follows a strict regime to stay in great shape (Image: Simon Dack)

“It depends on the training week, so some days it will be more protein-based – an omelette, something like that – but then when it's the day before the game, you might be doing more carbs because you're loading for the game, so that's obviously dependent.

“I eat lunch at the club as well, have treatment, go in the gym and do a bit before the meeting, then come out, do another pre-activation session in the gym, which gets longer and longer as you get older because of the little injuries you've had and you have to stay on top of.

“So calves isos, hammy (hamstring) isos, things like that, movement prep, hurdles.

“Sean Duggan, the physio here, has done a lot of Franz Bosch work with me in recent years, from injuries I've had.

“Then I go out on the pitch, train and then after training, I'll be in the gym again.”

Speaking on a Tuesday ahead of a Sunday match, he added: “Today was uppers and core, tomorrow will be maybe just core, then the day after that will be leg weights before the day off.

“And then treatment, I've just had there again, some days you might go in the spa, depending on how you feel, if you want to do a sauna or anything like that.”

Former skipper Bruno was a yoga devotee as he played in the Premier League until he was 38 and Milner also reaps the benefits.

He said: “Yoga a couple times a week, which I probably started maybe eight or nine years ago now. which I think Gareth Barry put me on to actually.

“We're passing it down, so I've passed it on to Babis (Kostoulas) at this moment. He's only 18, so he's starting well, starting young.

“Then at home, I still live on my own down here, so it's pretty boring, to be honest, which will shock you with me!

“Just normally like a steak and rice or veg for dinner, something simple.”

Sleep also plays a big part in the Milner routine and is carefully monitored with help of a WHOOP band, which us screenless, 24/7 wearable fitness tracker designed to monitor recovery, rest and cardiovascular strain .

Milner added: “Sleep is pretty critical. I’ve had the WHOOP for years now, so that's a good tool to keep an eye on that, on the recovery and things like that.

“Supplements, I've got them all before bed. I'm fortunate with the blood tests we get.

“I've always been a bit lower on magnesium, so I've taken magnesium for years, then you have your joint support, Omega 3 and all this stuff.

“That's just details of all those things and drinking the right things and enough fluid and things like that.”

Despite all that, Milner still feels aches and pains after a match.

He added: “It can be anything. We always joke that whenever I try and sneak in the kids' room to give them a kiss good night, my ankles crack when I'm walking off.

“Touch wood, I've not been too bad. After games, my back a little bit, getting out of bed the next day, but once I get moving, I'm pretty good.

“My body doesn't agree to sitting still, so I think that's why I don't like being on the bench so much as well!”

He added: “I think that's obviously been a massive help, never drinking.

“I've never had a problem with people drinking at all - I think it's healthy.

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“Like if that's the right time to do it and if that's your thing to get away from football and go have a blast, I've no problems with it all.

“But it's just a decision I made that, if it would help me, I didn't do it.

“And then obviously, as the game developed, you know, when I first started playing I'd had maybe one or two physios, maybe a part-time masseur, one fitness coach.

“Now you've got five or six fitness coaches, you've got seven or eight in the medical team. So that has been to my advantage.”