Football writer Tom Hancock explores how James Milner has defied time and expectation after breaking the Premier League’s all-time appearances record.
James Milner has made Premier League history on Saturday by making his 654th Premier League appearance, starting for Brighton & Hove Albion in their 2-0 win at Brentford to surpass Gareth Barry's long-standing record.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: "Congratulations to James on breaking the all-time Premier League appearance record. To have played in the Premier League for 24 years from the age of 16 – during which time he has become a three-time Champion – is an incredible feat that will be hugely difficult to match.
"He has demonstrated his talent and dedication for all the clubs he has represented, and it is thanks to his outstanding professionalism that he has been able to enjoy such a prolonged career at the highest level.
"His name will rightly go down in English football history and he should be immensely proud of this remarkable achievement."
After helping Brighton to a first away win since November, Milner explained how he has managed to keep playing in his 41st year.
"It's the drive and hunger, you want to be the best every day whether it's game or training," he said.
"I'm surrounded by a lot of young lads, I want to contribute to their careers, push them and help them get to the highest level as quick as possible.
When asked how much longer he will continue playing, he replied: "Who knows? Things change quickly in football. When you get older things can change quickly. With the injury I had last season I couldn't lift my foot for six months. I'll keep pushing, let's see where that takes us."
Watch: Milner speaks after breaking record
When did Milner make his Premier League debut?
Milner made his Premier League debut way back on 10 November 2002 as a substitute in Leeds United’s 4-3 win at West Ham United. At 16 years and 309 days, he became the competition’s second-youngest player ever at the time.
That Boxing Day, Milner made history by becoming the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at 16 years and 356 days – breaking the record set by Wayne Rooney for Everton only two months earlier. He kept that honour until April 2005 when he was outdone by another Everton player, James Vaughan.
Watch: The top 10 players for PL appearances
Which clubs has Milner played for in the Premier League?
Milner, who wore commemorative boots to mark his record, has turned out for six Premier League sides, starting off with 48 top-flight appearances for hometown club Leeds.
The 61-cap England international went on to play 94 Premier League games for Newcastle United, 100 for Villa across two spells, 147 for Manchester City – where he won two titles – and 230 for Liverpool – adding a third title – before joining Brighton in the summer of 2023.
James Milner’s Premier League career in numbers
| Club | Years played | Apps | PL titles |
| Leeds | 2002-04 | 48 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle | 2004-08 | 94 | 0 |
| Aston Villa (loan) | 2005-06 | 27 | 0 |
| Aston Villa | 2008-10 | 73 | 0 |
| Man City | 2010-15 | 147 | 2 |
| Liverpool | 2015-23 | 230 | 1 |
| Brighton | 2023-Present | 35 | 0 |
Scroll across on mobile to see the full table.
In two-and-a-half seasons with the Seagulls, Milner has made 35 Premier League appearances so far – he missed most of the 2024/25 campaign through injury – and scored one goal, taking his total in the competition to 56. He also has 90 assists to his name, the 10th-most in the competition's history.
Watch: Through the years of Milner's incredible career
Which other players have made the most Premier League appearances?
Prior to surpassing Barry's record, Milner leapfrogged Ryan Giggs to go second on the all-time list in January 2024.
The next highest-ranked active top-flight player is one of Milner’s former Liverpool team-mates, the Brentford midfielder Jordan Henderson (455 appearances).
Is Milner the Premier League's oldest ever outfield player?
Milner is only the fifth outfield player to appear in the Premier League after their 40th birthday. Gordon Strachan was the first to achieve the feat in 1997, followed by Teddy Sheringham, Kevin Phillips and Giggs.
Of those five players, Sheringham has made the most Premier League appearances beyond 40 with 24.
Sheringham remains the oldest outfield player in the competition’s history, playing his final top-flight match for West Ham against Man City in December 2006, when aged 40 years and 272 days. Milner did not turn 40 until 4 January 2026 and as a result, with the number of fixtures remaining in 2025/26, he cannot surpass Sheringham's record this season.
Milner's current Brighton contract expires this summer, and featuring in all of their league games between now then would still leave him seven games short of Sheringham’s record. Don’t be surprised, though, if the midfielder's legendary longevity takes him into his 25th Premier League season – be that with a contract extension at Brighton or elsewhere.