The BBC Sports The report explains that Milner, now 40, will be level with Barry in 653 Premier League appearances if Fabian Hurzeler selects Brighton’s number 20, a milestone achieved 24 years after the Yorkshireman first made his debut for Leeds United.
Milner’s long life was never an accident, and it is telling that Hurzeler viewed the record as a byproduct of norms rather than sentiment.
Milner’s Premier League longevity explained
“I think that will be something special for him, but he is also focused on the ambitions of the club. He always wants to be successful like he was all his life.” Hurzeler said.
“He is a driving force behind this winning mentality and I think it is very important to have these types of players in the team.”
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 key part of the cultural change that defined our modern era.
Why James Milner’s Liverpool years still define his legacy
That point was reinforced this week when Arne Slot spoke about the mentality pillars of Liverpool’s most successful period.
“But when I’m in the building and I’m talking about that period, I hear two other names all the time, and they’re James Milner and Jordan Henderson.
“These are also things you look at, that you have the right mentality, people who know what the culture is,” said Slot.
That mentality still seems to haunt Milner, even as he enters the latter stages of a career that has included three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League medal.
The The Premier League’s own season figures also show that Milner is not waiting for a farewell tour, as the veteran from Brighton has already played fourteen league games this season, twelve of them as a substitute, with one goal and one assist.
There was also a reminder of the connection that still exists with Liverpool last month, when Milner was spotted chatting to Mo Salah, Andy Robertson and goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero at Anfield after our 2-0 win over Brighton.
It was a small moment, but it captured something bigger.
James Milner may be closing in on a record in a Brighton shirt, but the standards behind it are partly shaped by what he helped build with us.
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