Longevity is always a big deal in a sport like soccer, and history has been too kind to James Milner in that regard. James Milner was thrown in the spotlight at age 16 when he made his first-team debut for Leeds United in the Premier League, and the record of the youngest goalscorer in the league at the time cast even more spotlight on him.
21 years later, James Milner is still going strong, having played for the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, and now Brighton & Hove Albion. The 37-year-old reached a Premier League milestone yesterday to draw level with United legend Ryan Giggs and has even more time to surpass the Welshman’s tally.
James Milner equals Ryan Giggs PL record
James Milner is one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League, and the fact that he was thrown on the big stage at just 16 shows how high his potential was at the time. Milner was the youngest goalscorer in the Premier League when he scored for Leeds United against Sunderland. The record lived for three years until it was broken in 2005 by James Vaughan for Everton.
Fast forward to 2023, Milner is now enjoying some regular minutes at Brighton & Hove Albion after successful spells at Manchester City and Liverpool, which saw him lift several Premier League trophies and the UEFA Champions League title under Jurgen Klopp.
The three-time Premier League winner made his 632nd Premier League appearance yesterday as Brighton held West Ham United to a 0-0 stalemate. With this appearance, James Milner drew level with Ryan Giggs in terms of Premier League appearances, an incredible milestone for the boy who began his career at Leeds United and worked his way up to the summit of English football.
While Milner established himself as a first-team regular very early in his career, it was during his stint at Liverpool that he truly achieved greatness. He became Jurgen Klopp’s commander on the pitch and was made the vice-captain just a few months after he joined.
Can James Milner break Gareth Barry’s record?
While James Milner is tied with Ryan Giggs on 632 Premier League appearances, he’s still some way off Gareth Barry’s 653 appearances in the topflight, which is the record for the most appearances by a single player in the league’s history.
Ironically, James Milner and Gareth Barry enjoyed some time together as teammates, first at Aston Villa and then at Manchester City, where they won the Premier League together in 2011 under Roberto Mancini, thanks to Sergio Aguero’s late heroics.
At 37, James Milner is clearly on the decline, so it’s hard to see him surpassing Barry in terms of appearances in the Premier League. However, the former England international still looks as sharp as ever, and being a part of a high-pressing Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton team, he could still enjoy some top-flight football for at least two years, even if it’s not at Brighton.
Speaking of Brighton, the Seagulls have performed below expectations this season, having sold Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for a British record transfer fee in the summer.
Can James Milner break Gareth Barry’s Premier League appearance record?
