James Milner could set the record for most appearances in the Premier League next season. The 39-year-old midfielder will continue for another year at Brighton & Hove Albion, which could see him dethrone record holder Gareth Barry.
Milner currently has 638 Premier League appearances. It could have been a lot more: the Englishman only played four league games for the Dutch-influenced Brighton last season due to a serious injury.
Barry’s record stands at 653 games. The former midfielder of Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion retired in 2020 after a 23-year career. He stopped at the age of 39.
Milner has also been active for 23 years. The Englishman made his Premier League debut in 2002 as a sixteen-year-old player for Leeds United. It turned out to be the start of a great career. He played 61 international matches for the English national team and won prizes with Manchester City and Liverpool.
“I am very happy that we have James with us for another season,” says Brighton coach Fabian Hürzeler. “Last season he could not help the team on the field as much as he would have liked, but his experience is invaluable. He is always there for the team.”
Four Dutch players are under contract at Brighton & Hove Albion: goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, defenders Joël Veltman and Jan Paul van Hecke and midfielder Mats Wieffer. The club finished eighth in the Premier League last season.