James Milner has broken the record for the most Premier League appearances of all time.
Starting in the midfield for Brighton against Brentford on Saturday afternoon, the 40-year-old has surpassed the milestone of 653 English top-flight games previously held by Gareth Barry.
Milner made his Premier League debut as a fresh-faced 16-year-old in November 2002, coming on as a substitute for his boyhood club Leeds United during their 4-3 win at West Ham.
Some 654 games later, the 61-cap England international boasts a glittering career, the most successful period of which he spent at Liverpool, winning honours such as the Champions League and Premier League under Jurgen Klopp.
Since leaving Anfield, Milner has turned out for the Seagulls and is consistently hailed for his professionalism.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said it was a ‘great day’ for the ‘role model’ midfielder.
James Milner has broken the record for the most Premier League appearances of all time
The 40-year-old has surpassed the milestone of 653 games previously held by Gareth Barry
Milner made his Premier League debut at the age of just 16 for Leeds United in November 2002
‘I think it’s difficult to sum him up with one word or a sentence,’ the German told BBC Match of the Day before kick-off.
‘He’s a role model on the pitch and beside the pitch. 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. Therefore, we are all looking forward to seeing him playing today.’
Milner will go toe-to-toe in the midfield in west London against his old Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who now plays for the Bees.
Henderson was full of praise this week for Milner, who was his vice-captain at the Reds.
‘I saw us as a pair of captains,’ the Brentford midfielder told the Guardian. ‘He helped me tremendously, not only on the pitch but off it, too. We had a really good professional relationship. We called it good cop, bad cop – I’ll let you work out which one was which. We also had a great friendship off the field; our wives are still close and speak a lot.’
He added: ‘For me it’s no surprise Milly’s about to break the appearance record because of his quality and talent. Also, because his mentality is unique.
Milner represented England on 61 occasions and played at two World Cups for his nation
The veteran midfielder won two Premier League titles during his five years at Manchester City
‘I’m sure if you asked all the clubs he’s played for, they’ll say he’s had a big impact on them, on the environment and on what they’ve achieved.
‘I can’t think of anybody that is like him in football. A 40-year-old still starting in the Premier League tells you the level he will still be training and playing at.’
Milner previously held the record of being the youngest-ever player to score in the Premier League when he scored for Leeds at just 16 years and 356 days old.
He spent one month on loan at Swindon Town in the 2003-04 season before moving to Newcastle United the following year after Leeds’ relegation to the Championship.
Throughout his breakthrough years, Milner represented England from U16s to U21s and would receive his first senior cap in 2009, when he played for Aston Villa.
The West Yorkshire-born midfielder represented his nation at two World Cups and two European Championships, playing most of his international football while he was at Manchester City – with the Etihad side signing him from Villa in 2010.
He won the Premier League twice with City, as well as an FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield in his five years at the club.
At Liverpool, the honours continued to role in for the veteran midfielder. As well as the Premier League and Champions League, he won the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Clup World Cup, the FA Cup and League Cup during his eight years at Anfield.
Prior to his 654th Premier League appearance, Milner has scored 56 times and assisted 87 goals for his team-mates in the English top-flight.
