James Milner has set a new milestone for the most appearances in Premier League history, taking the field for Brighton in their match against Brentford on Saturday, marking his 654th appearance in the league.
The 40-year-old matched the previous record of 653 appearances, held by Gareth Barry, earlier this month.
Throughout his career, Milner has played for Leeds United, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Brighton, winning two Premier League titles at Manchester City and one at Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp.
Over half (35%) of Milner’s Premier League matches, totaling 564, were played during his time at Liverpool.
Interestingly, Milner is seven years older than Brighton’s head coach, Fabian Hürzeler.
“It’s tough to sum him up in just one word or phrase. He serves as a role model both on and off the pitch,” Hürzeler commented about Milner in a pre-match interview with the BBC.
“His discipline is exceptional, and he puts forth tremendous effort every single day, always striving for more. It’s a valuable opportunity for him. Today is a significant occasion for him to prove again why he holds the record for Premier League appearances. We are all eagerly anticipating his performance today.”
With 11 more Premier League matches left this season, Milner has ample opportunity to further extend his record.
Milner’s achievement not only surpasses his former Villa teammate Barry on the all-time list but also extends his lead over Ryan Giggs (632 appearances). The top five includes Frank Lampard (609) and David James (572).
Completing the top ten are Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer (544), Gary Speed (535), Emile Heskey (516), Jamie Carragher (508), and Phil Neville (505).
Throughout his 654 appearances, Milner has netted 56 goals, with his first goal coming just five matches into his senior career for Leeds in 2002, making him the youngest player to score in Premier League history until James Vaughan broke the record in 2005.
Milner has also provided 90 assists in the Premier League, with a personal best of 12 assists during the 2009-10 season while playing for a dynamic Aston Villa squad.
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