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James Milner: Premier League record appearance holder announces retirement at age of 40 after 24-year top-flight career | Football News
James Milner has announced his retirement from football at the age of 40.
Milner, who has spent the last three years at Brighton, began his career at boyhood club Leeds, where he made his Premier League debut as a 16-year-old in 2002.
He also played for Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Milner played 24 seasons in the top flight, breaking the record for the most Premier League appearances while playing for Brighton against Brentford in February, and ends his career with a total of 658.
He won three Premier League titles – two with Man City and one with Liverpool, where he also won the Champions League in 2019.
He also made 61 appearances for England after making his debut in 2009 while at Aston Villa.
Milner said: “After 24 seasons in the Premier League, it feels like the the right time to bring an end to my playing career.
“From making my debut for Leeds United, who I supported growing up, at the age of 16 and becoming the Premier League’s youngest scorer, I could never have dreamed of the journey I’ve been on, right through to not being able to lift my foot last year and then coming back to be part of Brighton qualifying for Europe for the second time in their history at the age of 40.
Milner won two Premier League titles with Liverpool
“To have gone on to represent Newcastle, Aston Villa, Man City, Liverpool and Brighton and not forgetting a memorable month at Swindon, has been a huge privilege
“I’ve been fortunate enough to experience some unforgettable moments, from fighting for survival to winning trophies, playing in Europe, and representing my country. But more than anything, it is the people and friendships I’ve made throughout my time in the game I will cherish forever.
“To my family, thank you for every sacrifice, every mile travelled and every moment of encouragement. None of this would have been possible without you.
“I leave the game with immense pride, gratitude and memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Football has given me far more than I could have ever imagined, and I will always be thankful for the opportunities it provided.”
Milner also helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2019
Milner’s Premier League career in stats
Milner played 48 times for his boyhood club Leeds, where he became at the time the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer, aged 16 years and 356 days, and second-youngest player. He is now third on the goalscorer list behind Max Dowman and James Vaughan.
He made 94 appearances for Newcastle and 100 for Villa, 27 of them on loan in the 2005-06 season before joining permanently in 2008.
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Stephen Warnock and Curtis Davies recall some anecdotes to prove Milner’s competitiveness, as part of a Premier League 360 episode
His longest and most successful spells came with five seasons at Manchester City, where he made 147 appearances and won two Premier League titles, and eight at Liverpool featuring 230 games and a third title.
He played 39 times for Brighton after joining in the summer of 2023, with the 2024-25 season interrupted by injuries and limited to four appearances.
He has scored 56 goals – 19 for Liverpool, 13 for City, 12 for Villa, six for Newcastle, five for Leeds and one for Brighton – and added 90 assists to rank 10th on the all-time Premier League list.