James Milner, the 40-year-old veteran midfielder who holds the all-time appearance record in England's Premier League (EPL), is leaving the pitch.
Milner announced his retirement through his social media on Saturday (Korea time). "After 24 seasons in the Premier League, I feel now is the right time to end my playing career," he said. "I'm incredibly proud of the journey I've been on, and I'd like to thank every club, teammate and fan who has been part of it."
His current club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Premier League office also confirmed Milner's retirement.
Milner, who earned 61 caps for the England national team, including two appearances each at the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship (Euro), is a player who wrote a chapter in EPL history.
Milner made his debut in 2002 at age 16 with his hometown club Leeds United. His weekly wage at the time was 70 pounds (approximately 140,000 won). He went on to play for Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool before joining Brighton from the 2023-2024 season, spending 24 seasons on Premier League pitches.
Notably, in an away match against Brentford in February this year (a 2-0 win), he made his 654th career league appearance, setting a new EPL record for most appearances. Milner erased the previous record held by Gareth Barry (retired, 653 matches).
Milner played his 658th career EPL match in Brighton's final game of the 2025-2026 season. Throughout his career, he won the EPL three times, the Football Association (FA) Cup twice, the League Cup twice and the UEFA Champions League once. Milner also holds the EPL record for appearances in 24 consecutive seasons.
