Sunday, February 22 2026 - 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.”
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