James Milner has written his name deeper into English football history after setting a new Premier League appearance record during Brighton’s visit to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium earlier today, February 21.

James Milner, 40, started the match for Brighton, making it his 654th outing in the top flight and moving past Gareth Barry’s long-standing record. Milner had drawn level with Barry earlier in the week during the Seagulls’ trip to Aston Villa, one of his former clubs.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler did not hold back in his praise, describing Milner as a “role model on and off the pitch”.

“There’s no surprise why he’s where he is at the moment, because he has such great discipline,” Hurzeler said. “He has such a great effort every day and he is never satisfied.

“It’s a great day for him to show us again why he is the record-holder regarding the Premier League games.”

Milner’s journey began as a teenager at Leeds United in 2002. He went on to represent Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool, carving out a career built on consistency and relentless professionalism.

Former England team-mate Wayne Rooney said: “Milly deserves to break the record. I think it’s well known how professional he is and how hard he’s worked all throughout his career.

“It’s an incredible record and it just shows that when you work hard, it pays off. He’s 40 now, and players are playing until they’re a bit older nowadays.

“We’ve seen that with [Cristiano] Ronaldo as well. It wouldn’t surprise me if he goes on for another two or three years.”

Chris Sutton also paid tribute, calling Milner’s longevity “Unbelievable,” while Sam Parkin recalled his early days on loan at Swindon, noting how “so professional and so driven” he was even then.

Milner, who has won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, League Cup and the Champions League, remains under contract at Brighton until the end of the season.