My dad’s a former England star, now I’m making my own way and eating 30 plants a week to reach the very top of my sport

GEORGE MILLS refuses to eat ultra-processed foods in his quest for a second European athletics medal and he said: Flavour won’t make you run fast.

The middle-distance runner – son of England’s 2002 World Cup defender Danny – tries to eat 30 different plants a week “to excite your microbes”.

Rex

George Mills refuses to eat ultra-processed foods in his quest for a second European athletics medal[/caption]

Living a monk-like existence in terms of his diet, cutting out vices and luxury foods, has been key in his mind to his improved displays.

And on Saturday morning, he will begin his search for a medal indoors at the European Athletics Championships in Holland as he races in the heats of the men’s 3,000 metres.

Mills, 25, said: “Flavour doesn’t make you fast. I’ll show you my lunch. It’s just chicken and rice. Not a lot. Simple.

“I base my diet around whole foods. Sometimes you may have to take a hit if you’re travelling but that’s the basis of my diet. I’m a simple guy.

“I really love training. I get a lot of enjoyment from turning up every day and training with the team.

“There’s obviously a lot of downtime in a distance runner’s life but most of that time you just want to rest as much as possible.

“Sleep is when you recover. You need to try and optimise that. I try to nap most afternoons and obviously get a good night’s sleep.

“I have blue-light glasses, ear plugs, eye masks – all those sorts of things.”

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

Mills spent a lot of his winter at high altitude in Dullstroom, South Africa, and once there, it is a stripped-back lifestyle, where it is a case of ‘eat, sleep, train, repeat’.

Ahead of these Europeans, he has been based for a change at sea level, in the Spanish seaside resort of Castellon.

The big target in Apeldoorn will be the formidable Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic 5,000 metres champion, who is running quick and even set a world record under a roof in the 1500 metres last month in France.

Yet he is not unbeatable as Scotsmen Jake Wightman (2022) and Josh Kerr (2023) showed when they overtook the Norwegian, 24, to world 1500 metres gold.

Mills – who won European 5,000 metres indoor silver in Rome last year behind the Scandinavian – said: “Obviously he’s a phenomenal athlete.

“Everyone’s got a target on their backs right, so I’m going there to compete.

“In this sport no-one is invincible. If you do everything right yourself and you’re 100% on the day, anything is possible.”

This will be the first time many fans will have seen Mills in a running vest since his high profile argy-bargy row with France’s Hugo Hay at the Paris Olympics when he was tripped in a “freak racing incident”.

The Harrogate-born star reflected: “I don’t really look at what could have been. That’s a negative mindset to be in to be honest.

“That doesn’t benefit you in the future at all. What I’ll say on Paris is I was able to race five times and have five very different and mentally and physically challenging experiences.

“That will really benefit me in the next five years when racing in major championships.”

George Mills with dad Danny, an ex-England player

Mills stopped his playing career in 2009