Former England midfielder James Milner has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 40. Milner, who spent the past three seasons at Brighton, concludes a career that began at Leeds United and extended across 24 consecutive Premier League seasons.
In February, Milner set a new Premier League record for the most appearances when he featured for Brighton against Brentford. He retires having played 658 matches in the competition. In a statement posted on Instagram, Milner said, “After 24 seasons in the Premier League, I felt it was the right time to bring my playing career to an end.”
Reflecting on his early years, Milner noted that he made his debut for Leeds United at the age of 16 and became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at the time. He added that he had never anticipated such a long and eventful career. He also referred to physical difficulties in the previous year but highlighted his return to contribute to Brighton’s squad, which secured European qualification for the second time in the club’s history.
Milner stated that his career included a range of experiences, from relegation battles to winning major trophies and competing in European competitions. He also represented England in two UEFA European Championships and two FIFA World Cups. He emphasised that the relationships and friendships formed throughout his career would remain his most valued achievement.
Premier League All-Time Appearance Leaders
| Player | Appearances | Clubs Represented |
|---|---|---|
| James Milner | 658 | Liverpool, Man City |
| Gareth Barry | 653 | Aston Villa, Everton |
| Ryan Giggs | 632 | Manchester United |
| Frank Lampard | 609 | Chelsea, West Ham |
Milner is one of only four players to have made more than 600 Premier League appearances. He surpassed Gareth Barry’s previous record of 653 matches. Ryan Giggs and Frank Lampard complete the list, with 632 and 609 appearances respectively.
Notably, no goalkeeper features among players with over 600 appearances. The highest-ranking goalkeeper is David James, who played 572 matches for clubs including Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth, placing him fifth overall.
Milner began his senior career at Leeds United, where he made 48 appearances and, at 16 years and 356 days, became the youngest Premier League goalscorer at that time. He remains second on the all-time list, behind James Vaughan (16 years and 271 days). He later played 94 matches for Newcastle United and 100 for Aston Villa, initially joining Villa on loan in the 2005–06 season before making the move permanent in 2008.
The most successful periods of his career came at Manchester City and Liverpool. At City, he made 147 appearances over five seasons and won two Premier League titles. At Liverpool, he played 230 matches across eight seasons, winning one Premier League title and one UEFA Champions League title.
Milner joined Brighton in the summer of 2023 and made 39 appearances for the club. However, injuries limited his involvement in the 2024–25 season, during which he played only four matches.
Milner’s Premier League Record
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 658 |
| Goals | 56 |
| Assists | 90 |
Across his Premier League career, Milner scored 56 goals: 19 for Liverpool, 13 for Manchester City, 12 for Aston Villa, 6 for Newcastle United, 5 for Leeds United, and 1 for Brighton. He also registered 90 assists, placing him jointly within the top ten in the competition’s all-time assist rankings.
In his retirement statement, Milner expressed gratitude to football, stating that the game had provided opportunities and experiences beyond his expectations and that the memories would remain with him permanently.