James Milner is now the Premier League's sole record player. The 40-year-old Brighton professional made his 654th appearance in England's elite league. In terms of minutes played, however, Milner cannot keep up with Gareth Barry.
Brighton & Hove Albion's 2-0 win at Brentford on Saturday was particularly special for one man in particular: it was James Milner's 654th Premier League appearance, which saw him overtake previous record holder Gareth Barry (653) to become the new sole record holder.
"It's a big number and it's nice to achieve this record, but it's also an opportunity to thank all the people who have helped me. My family and friends who have been there from the start and for the sacrifices they have made," said Milner after reaching the milestone. He made his league debut in 2002 in a Leeds United shirt. He went on to become a Premier League legend at Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Milner was in the starting eleven against Brentford. However, the veteran has not normally been a regular for some time now. He is often substituted. Although the midfielder has made plenty of appearances, he cannot quite keep up with the players who have mostly played throughout their Premier League careers in terms of minutes played.
Barry has been on the pitch for four whole seasons longer
In terms of playing minutes, Milner is "only" 13th in the all-time list of Premier League players. According to Transfermarkt, he played a total of 40,579 minutes - significantly less than Gareth Barry, who played 54,443 minutes for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich.
That's more than four whole seasons in which Barry was on the pitch more often than Milner. Former goalkeeper David James (51,302 minutes) and Frank Lampard (48,913) also played significantly longer on the pitch.
