Neil Critchley Lauds James Milner's Influence in FA Cup Win over Shrewsbury Town

Liverpool under-23s coach Neil Critchley has praised the influence of first-team star James Milner after he asked to be part of the preparations for Tuesday's FA Cup fourth-round replay win over Shrewsbury Town.

The Merseysiders will travel to Chelsea in the fifth round after squeezing past their League One opponents 1-0, with manager Jurgen Klopp and his senior players absent due to the Premier League's midseason break. 

Critchley told reporters after the game that Milner was involved with his young team in the buildup to their replay and was grateful for his contribution:

"James Milner trained with us yesterday and asked if he could come along.

"He was very respectful to ask, he asked if he could come in the dressing room. Of course! He's achieved so much in the game.

"He was giving words of advice to the players, he was vocal in the dressing room. I can't thank him enough. He's not available yet, but he was certainly jumping up and down behind me, itching to get back."

Liverpool set a new benchmark for their youngest starting lineup for the second time this season, per BBC Sport's Neil Johnston. The average age of 19 years and 102 days beat the team that fell 5-0 to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in December, which had an average age of 19 years and 182 days.

Ro-Shaun Williams scored the only goal of the game at Anfield on Tuesday, a misdirected clearance into his own net after 75 minutes, via BBC Sport:

Milner, 34, joined in the home celebrations and took to Twitter to show his appreciation for the youngsters' efforts:

Klopp has attracted criticism for not being present on the touchline for the FA Cup clash. However, he recently said at a press conference that his absence was "to make a clear standpoint" in his efforts to establish a winter break in England, like the rest of Europe's major leagues.

Critchley said his young players were told they could earn a place against Chelsea with the right performance against the Shrews, adding: "We don't want this to be a defining moment of their careers. We want this to be a taste to whet their appetites. They want more of it. It gives them the belief and confidence in the work they do on a daily basis that people don't see until a night like this."

First-team talisman Virgil van Dijk was among those who watched Tuesday's win from afar and revelled in Critchley's triumph:

Milner is nursing an ankle injury that's kept him sidelined during Liverpool's last seven games, but he'll hope to be back for the fifth-round clash with Chelsea on March 5.

The Reds are 22 points clear of Manchester City at the Premier League summit but won't resume that campaign until February 15 when they travel to Norwich City.