James Milner recalls Mario Balotelli’s eccentric Manchester City years

Former Manchester City midfielder James Milner has shared anecdotes regarding his time playing alongside Mario Balotelli between 2010 and 2013. Speaking on 'The Good, The Bad and The Football' podcast, Milner described Balotelli as behaving like an “11 or 12-year-old child” who frequently engaged in provocative or silly behavior to attract attention.

Milner recounted specific instances, including an incident where Balotelli allegedly hit Milner’s car while reversing and subsequently denied it. Despite these behavioral descriptions, Milner praised Balotelli’s technical ability, specifically noting that he was “one of the best penalty takers I have ever seen,” remarking that he rarely missed during training.

Balotelli responded to the comments on Instagram, suggesting that Milner’s characterization of him as a child was an exaggeration.