Premier League record appearance-holder James Milner retires at 40 | OneFootball

James Milner, the Premier League record appearance-holder, has retired at 40, turning down a further year at Brighton.

The player said in a post that it felt the right time to end his career after 24 seasons, having broken Gareth Barry's mark with his 654th top-flight outing in Brighton's 2-0 win at Brentford in February.

Milner played for Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton, with a loan at Swindon. He won league titles in 2011-12 and 2013-14 with City and in 2019-20 with Liverpool, plus the 2019 Champions League, the FA Cup and two League Cups.

He made his England debut in 2009 while at Villa and earned 61 caps. He featured at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and Euro 2012 and Euro 2016.

After setting the record, injuries limited him to four further appearances. He started and lasted 59 minutes in Brighton's 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United on the final day, the last of his 658 Premier League appearances.

Complications after knee surgery last season sidelined him for nine months. At one stage he struggled to lift his foot and feared for his mobility, before returning to help Brighton qualify for Europe for the second time in their history at 40.

Brighton had hoped to keep him for their Europa League Conference campaign after finishing eighth, but his decision ends that prospect. Head coach Fabian Hurzeler hailed his leadership, intensity and standards, and thanked him for his support while wishing his family well.

Source: NY Times