Brighton’s James Milner breaks Premier League appearance record

James Milner has become the Premier League’s all-time appearance record holder after making his 654th outing in the competition.

The 40-year-old midfielder reached the milestone on Saturday, February 21, when he started for Brighton & Hove Albion in their trip to Brentford FC, surpassing the previous record held by Gareth Barry.

Milner’s top-flight career spans more than two decades. He broke into the first team at Leeds United as a teenager and, at 16, became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at the time.

He went on to represent Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool FC, collecting three Premier League titles across spells at City and Liverpool. His honours list also includes two FA Cups and a Champions League triumph.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who is eight years younger than Milner, praised the veteran’s professionalism. “He’s a role model on the pitch and beside the pitch,” Hurzeler said. “There’s no surprise why he’s there where he is at the moment because he has such a great discipline.

“He has such a great effort every day and he is never satisfied. He keeps going and it’s a great opportunity for him. It’s a great day for him to show us again why he is the record-holder regarding the Premier League games.”