Manchester City midfielder James Milner admits he could've been lost to cricket as a junior.

Milner was a good schoolboy cricketer, a batsman and wicketkeeper who played at county level with England fast bowler Tim Bresnan and Yorkshire opening batsman Joe Sayers.

"I played a lot of cricket and did a bit of cross-country running," said Milner. "But it came to a point where football took over. If I'd got a yorker on my toe it wouldn't have been ideal."