The Premier League has seen an array of footballing veterans throughout its 31 seasons.
Gareth Barry currently holds the record for the most Premier League appearances, but one club is set to give a contract extension to a player who could break Barry’s record.
Some players like Ryan Giggs and Jamie Carragher have made over 500 appearances in the league for just one club – Manchester United and Liverpool, respectively. Others, such as Emile Heskey and David James, have several clubs to thank for their impressive appearance counts.
James Milner could be set to break the Premier League record
Brighton and Hove Albion have begun talks with James Milner over extending his stay at the seaside club, according to The Athletic.
Milner, 39, currently has 637 Premier League appearances, meaning he needs just 16 more to equal Barry’s impressive total of 653 – a manageable target should he sign an extension.
Milner has made just 18 appearances for Brighton since joining in the summer of 2023, with injuries hampering his influence. The Englishman joined from Liverpool, where he turned out 230 times in the league, the highest tally he has accumulated at any of the six clubs he has represented in the Premier League.
In November 2002, Milner made his Premier League debut for Leeds United at just 16 years and 309 days. He then went on to play for Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Manchester City before joining Liverpool.
With 55 goals, 86 assists, three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two League Cups and one Champions League to his name, Milner’s resume is matched by few English footballers in the modern era.
Barry also played for Aston Villa and Manchester City, making over half of his league appearances for Villa and playing alongside Milner for over two seasons.
With Brighton pushing for a European spot in the latter stages of the 2024/25 season, manager Fabian Hurzeler will undoubtedly be keen to have Milner’s European experience in the squad next year.
Milner, who ranked no.31 FourFourTwo's list of the best English midfielders ever, has a contract that is due to end this summer, but a potential option could be a hybrid player-coach role as part of an extension.
