The 40-year-old midfielder surpassed Gareth Barry’s long-standing record of 653 games when he took the field at the Gtech Community Stadium. Brighton won the match against Brentford 2-0, ending a six-game winless run.
Milner’s boots carried the number 654 prominently on the sole, marking the historic occasion. He played 89 minutes before receiving a standing ovation from both sets of fans upon his substitution.
His journey began on November 10, 2002, when he came off the bench for his hometown club Leeds United against West Ham. He was 16 years and 309 days old, then the second-youngest player in Premier League history.
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Since that debut, Milner has represented Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Brighton. He has won three Premier League titles, two with City and one with Liverpool, plus the Champions League and multiple domestic cups.
The record had stood with Barry since his final Premier League appearance in February 2018. Milner equalled the mark on February 11, coming off the bench against Aston Villa.
Milner has now made Premier League appearances in 25 consecutive calendar years. He is also the competition’s most-used substitute, having come off the bench 218 times.
Ryan Giggs (632) and Frank Lampard (609) remain the only other players with more than 600 Premier League appearances. Milner now stands alone at the summit, with no active player within 200 games of his total.
