Liverpool favourite on the brink of matching a historic Premier League mark
James Milner is closing in on one of the Premier League’s most stubborn records, with the former Liverpool midfielder set to equal Gareth Barry’s all-time appearance mark if Brighton & Hove Albion use him against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The BBC Sport report explains that Milner, now 40, will draw level with Barry on 653 Premier League appearances if Fabian Hurzeler selects the Brighton No.20, a milestone that arrives 24 years after the Yorkshireman first debuted for Leeds United.
Milner’s longevity has never been an accident, and it is telling that Hurzeler has framed the record as a by-product of standards rather than sentiment.
Milner’s Premier League longevity explained
“I think that will be a special thing for him but he is focused on top of that on the ambitions from the club as well. He wants to be always successful like he was his whole life,” Hurzeler said.
“He is a driver of this winning mentality and I think it’s very important to have these kind of players in the squad.”
From our perspective, it is impossible to separate Milner’s durability from what he represented during his time at Liverpool.
James Milner played more games for Liverpool than any other club in his career, and he was a major part of the culture shift that defined our modern era.
Why James Milner’s Liverpool years still shape his legacy
That point was reinforced this week when Arne Slot spoke about the mentality pillars of Liverpool’s most successful period.
“But if I’m in the building and I’m talking about that period of time, I hear two other names constantly, and that’s James Milner and Jordan Henderson.
“That’s also things you’re looking at that you have the right mentality, people who know what the culture is,” Slot said.
That mentality still seems to follow Milner around, even now in the latter stages of a career that has included three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League medal.
The Premier League’s own season-by-season numbers also show that Milner is not hanging around for a farewell tour, because the Brighton veteran has already made 14 league appearances this season, with 12 of those coming as a substitute, adding one goal and one assist.
There was also a reminder of the connection that still exists with Liverpool last month, when Milner was spotted speaking with Mo Salah, Andy Robertson and goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero inside Anfield after our 2-0 win over Brighton.
It was a small moment, but it captured something bigger.
James Milner might be approaching a record in a Brighton shirt, but the standards behind it were shaped in part by what he helped build with us.
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