James Milner has confirmed Liverpool's failure to offer him a new contract is the reason for his imminent departure, against the wishes of Jurgen Klopp.
The 37-year-old is leaving the Reds after eight hugely successful seasons at Anfield, which have yielded Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup wins, and a Europa League runners-up medal.
90min reported at the beginning of May that Europa League-bound Brighton are pushing to complete a deal for Milner, with some experience at the highest level of continental competition designed to help Roberto De Zerbi's side take the next step in their exciting rise.
But Milner's exit from Merseyside is not something Klopp was aligned with. The German is also saying goodbye to Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita at the end of their contracts, leaving Liverpool exceptionally light in midfield.
Alexis Mac Allister is expected to be a quick incoming, arriving in a big-money move, but Milner has confirmed recent reports that Klopp wanted to reward him with a new contract.
"It's all good because the manager wanted to keep me - which as a player is what you want," Milner said of why he is leaving. "Obviously the club decided a different way. In my head it felt like it could be a good time, so I'm content with how it's all come about.
"It was probably about three weeks ago that I heard from the club. Because I hadn't heard anything, in my own mind I had probably decided myself that I would be going.
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“I will continue to play football, so yes I could be back in front of the Kop potentially. It's an option."
While Milner intends to continue playing, he did go on to speak about his post-retirement plans. The former Manchester City, Aston Villa and Leeds star revealed that he's at odds with himself sometimes about what to do next, though he recognises that not sharing his years of experience with others would be somewhat of a waste.
"Some days I think I'd love a go at management - and then other days you see a manager sign a new contract and six weeks later they get sacked. That's when you think 'maybe the golf course is a better option!
"We'll see. Doing my badges has helped me learn and I've played under some unbelievable managers. I’ve played under some poor ones as well! But you can still learn from them.
"Playing for as long as I have - and with the players that I’ve played alongside - it does seem a shame not to use that knowledge."
Milner's farewell appearance for Liverpool will come on the final day of the Premier League campaign, when the Reds - who will finish fifth and enter the Europa League next year - travel to already relegated Southampton.
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This article was originally published on 90min as James Milner explains why he is leaving Liverpool.
