‘Wow, I think you exaggerate’ – Mario Balotelli fires back at James Milner after ex-Man City mate’s dressing room dig

MARIO BALOTELLI has hit back at former Manchester City team-mate James Milner after the ex-England star compared him to an 11-year-old. Milner opened up about what it was like sharing a dressing room with the Italian during an appearance on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast. James Milner and Mario Balotelli played 42 games together for Manchester City Credit: Shutterstock Milner shared his experience of sharing a dressing room with the volatile Italian during their time together at the Etihad Credit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun And his description of Balotelli was certainly not short of detail. Milner said having the striker around was “like having an 11 or 12-year-old in there”. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! He claimed Balotelli would sometimes do something “completely stupid” if he felt he was not getting enough attention from his team-mates. The former City midfielder said the Italian would make noises, do something random or even smash things up simply to get people looking at him. Balotelli, however, appeared to take issue with that description. The 36-year-old spotted a clip of Milner’s interview on Instagram and replied directly to his former team-mate. Balotelli wrote, adding a frustrated emoji: “Wow, James, I think you exaggerate with the kid part.” The pair spent time together at Manchester City during the club’s rise to the top of English football. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS They played 42 games together for the Premier League giants. But while Milner focused on Balotelli’s antics away from the pitch, he was also quick to praise his former team-mate’s ability on it. Milner said Balotelli “could finish” and singled out his penalty-taking ability for particular praise. He added: “He was probably one of the best penalty takers, to be fair. I never saw him miss one in training for years.” Balotelli and Milner did not play together at Liverpool despite both later turning out for the club. Both Milner and Balotelli later left Man City and played for Liverpool at different times in their career Credit: Getty Top football travel deals Balotelli spent the 2014-15 season at Anfield, while Milner joined Liverpool the following summer. The Italian striker, now 36, is currently under contract with UAE side Al-Ittifaq. Milner, meanwhile, called time on his remarkable playing career at the end of the 2025-26 campaign after three seasons with Brighton. Despite Balotelli’s response, Milner’s comments also highlighted the unique character that made the Italian such a memorable figure during his time at Manchester City. Comment now