Brighton & Hove, England – Veteran Brighton midfielder James Milner announced his retirement from football on Monday, bringing to a close an exceptional career spanning more than two decades in English football.
Milner enjoyed a distinguished 24-year career in the Premier League, representing seven different clubs. As a result, he became the player with the most appearances in the competition’s history, with 664 matches, during which he scored 58 goals.
The former Liverpool player also won 13 club titles, most notably the Champions League and three Premier League titles. He also won two FA Cups and two Community Shields.
Last February, Milner entered the Guinness World Records in a big way, after receiving three record certificates. Most notably, he broke the record for the most appearances in the history of the English Premier League, surpassing the record previously held by Gareth Barry.
His achievements didn’t stop there; he also holds the record for the longest gap between his first and last goals in the competition’s history, a period of 22 years and 248 days. Furthermore, he became the player with the most consecutive Premier League appearances, featuring in 24 consecutive seasons.
Milner continued to make history well into his later years on the pitch, becoming the second oldest player to score a Premier League goal. He found the net at the age of 39 years and 239 days against Manchester City this season.
With his retirement, Milner leaves behind an exceptional legacy of both consistency and achievement, having cemented his place as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats.
