Premier League appearance record-holder James Milner retires aged 40

Former England midfielder James Milner has announced his retirement from football at the age of 40.

Milner, who 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 United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool - as well as England, earning 61 caps.

Milner broke 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.

"After 24 seasons in the Premier League, it feels like the right time to bring an end to my playing career," he wrote in a post on Instagram.

"From making my debut for Leeds, 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," he said.

"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."

He said every club he had been at had "played a huge role in my life and career".

"I've been fortunate enough to experience some unforgettable moments, from fighting for survival to winning trophies, playing in Europe, and representing my country...at two European Championships and two World Cups," he added.

"Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey."

Milner played 48 times for Leeds, where he became at the time the Premier League's youngest goalscorer, aged 16 years and 356 days.

He made 94 appearances for Newcastle and 100 for Villa. 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.

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Milner joined Brighton in the summer of 2023 and played 39 times in total for the Sussex club.

The 2024-25 season was interrupted by injuries and limited to four appearances, but his final season saw him take to the field 22 times, reaching the record-breaking milestone and helping the club quality for their second European competition.

(c) Sky News 2026: Premier League appearance record-holder James Milner retires aged 40