In 258 days time, James Milner leaves Liverpool Football Club. Departed. Gone. He will be a vehicle of wonderment and adulation for another set of fans, the memories of Madrid forever alive at Anfield, but now in the past. No more Ribena memes on LFC Twitter. A world no one wants to live in.

That is what is happening as things stand, anyway. On this story's current path, the 33-year-old leaves the club after five seasons, around 225 appearances made, a Champions League winners' medal, and perhaps even the Premier League equivalent. He is given a heartfelt send-off, the sort reserved and deserved for those who have served the club with such distinction, and continues his legacy elsewhere.

It doesn't have to end this way. There is another path, one which Liverpool is clearly keen on making real; it is Milner playing at Newcastle United, one of his former clubs, on the final day of the season. It is going away for a well-earned rest in June. It is coming back in July and, in all likelihood, winning the lactate test at Melwood once more.

That is the vision most associated with Liverpool want to subscribe to, but what happens in reality?

It feels like Milner can live forever. He is a remarkable footballer, one who is growing stronger with age; the sequel to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, about the man from the inner-city of Leeds who became a boy. Last season, beginning it aged 32, ending it 33, looking 18 throughout, Milner thrived at Anfield.

Excluding Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's 17-minute anomaly against Burnley, no Liverpool player played more key passes per 90 minutes, in league action, in 2018/19 (2.23). His xA (expected assists) came to 5.64, making his final passes more creative than Sadio Mané's; his xA per 90 was joint top (again, excluding Oxlade-Chamberlain), with a total of 0.29, the same as Mohamed Salah. His numbers also translate well in terms of rivals, with his output similar to Christian Eriksen's at Tottenham, a player who was tipped to move to Manchester United or FC Barcelona this summer.

Milner slots the winner against Leicester City.

This season is still only eight games in, and the midfielder his first full league game in yesterday's win over Leicester City. That, in part, is the problem. This season, he is beginning it aged 33, ending it 34. Even without a drop in performance levels (which is not expected), there is no guarantee playing minutes are maintained at this age. Jamie Carragher and Kolo Toure moved from 33 to 34, and saw their time increase; Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypia saw theirs decrease, the Finn center-back substantially, playing 3,549 minutes in 2007/08, then just 1,360 minutes in 2008/09.

In theory, Milner faces increased competition. Oxlade-Chamberlain has already more minutes this season than last; Naby Keita, providing he can get fit, will also seek to improve his time and productivity in his second campaign. Adam Lallana, albeit reinvented as a no.6, is also into the mix; then, Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum are both capable taking a spot from Milner.

Big questions remain: Does Milner provide the same incredible output as last season? Will he be given the opportunity to do so as regularly? If the answers are yes and no, is he happy with remaining at Anfield for much longer?

Milner did play 2,836 minutes in all competitions last season, more than Henderson and Keita, and only 80 minutes fewer than Fabinho, but the competition for midfield places is fiercer. There are no guarantees Milner will produce the same performances he did last season (likewise, there is nothing to suggest he won't better them), and he is also a player who clearly values being involved on the pitch, and possessing a real importance. It was the reason he departed Manchester City for Liverpool in 2015, despite the Reds being an obvious step down at the time.

The solution seems clear and obvious. Milner continues his most Indian of summers, signs a new deal, perhaps seeks to go into coaching at some point and learns his craft at Anfield. Things do not always follow the pattern. There are questions, and there are answers to be found.

There are 258 days to do so.