When James Milner made his debut in the English First Division, life was very different: cell phones looked like bricks, there were not flat screen TVs and the Internet was only available to a few privileged people.
The Englishman, with his appearance in Brighton‘s match against Wolverhampton last monday, became the second player with the most matches played in the highest category of English football (with 633 matches) only second to the legendary Gareth Barry, who appeared in 653 occasions.
A Premier League nomad:
Ever since the 16th of November of 2002, in which a 16-year-old James Milner played his first minutes with the senior squad of Leeds United in a league match, he has not stopped playing. Currently, Milner has 22 seasons under his belt.
So many campaigns go a long way, and throughout them, the veteran footballer has had the opportunity to play for six different teams: Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and, finally, Brighton, have enjoyed the tenacity and talent of James Milner.
In addition, he has achieved something very important and that very few elite players can say: he has been a fundamental piece for every single one of the rosters that he has been a part of as a result of his great physical capabilities and talent.
A player of many records:
Over the course of his stay at the English league, Milner has managed to break many records. The midfielder once was the second youngest player to ever appear in a Premier League match (at 16 years and 10 months old). Today, he holds the 16th position in that ranking.
Only a few days after his debut, he earned the title as the youngest player to ever score in the English First Division. However, three years after, Everton’s James Vaughan took the record away from him. In spite of that, Milner is still, to this day, the second youngest goalscorer.
Although the Englishman is known for doing the ‘dirty work’ for the teams he has been on, he has a record that still surprises many people, as he is the player with the most assists in a single edition of the Champions League with nine.
He managed such an achievement in the 2017/18 season while helping his team reach the final that they eventually lost to Real Madrid.
In addition to everything he has accomplished with his clubs, he has also made a great contribution to England’s national team. Milner is the player with the most U-21 caps, a total of 46. With the senior squad, he was called up for two World Cups and two Euros from 2010 to 2016.
Translated by Nuño Alonso.
Main image: @OfficialBHAFC.
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