“Milner 632”… the dean of the “Premier League”

Anwar Ibrahim (Cairo)

English star James Milner, Brighton's midfielder, joined Welshman Ryan Giggs in second place as the players who participated most in the English Premier League matches, with 632 matches for each, after he participated in his team's match against West Ham United in the twentieth round of the competition, which ended zero-zero.
This event was the best gift for Milner on his birthday, as he turns 38 years old tomorrow, born on January 4, 1986. Milner is equal to Giggs in that each of them played at least a match in the Premier League every year over the course of 23 years, and given that Milner became the only older player in English stadiums after the retirement of both Gareth Barry and Ryan Giggs, he deserved the title that was given to him, which is “The Dean.” Premier League.
Thus, Milner is close to the record set by Gareth Barry, who played 653 matches for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion until his retirement in 2020. Frank Lampard comes in fourth place after Barry, Giggs and Milner, with 609 matches, while English goalkeeper David James comes in fifth place. With 572 matches, he played for Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City, Bournemouth and Bristol City.
James Milner, the “son of Leeds,” began his professional career in 2002 with his hometown club Leeds, then went to Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Liverpool before joining Brighton in a “free contract” deal last summer. During this rich journey, Milner won 12 titles, including 5 titles with Manchester City, including 2 English Premier League titles, and 7 titles with Liverpool, including one league championship and once the European Champions League.
Milner left Liverpool after spending eight years and received great praise at Anfield, where he was given a special celebration in his last match last May. He then traveled to southern England, where he became an important element in the “rotation” process conducted by Brighton’s Italian coach, Roberto De Zerbi, where he participated in 18 matches in various competitions, including the return match against Olympique Marseille in the European League, “Europa League.”
Milner's contract with Brighton expires in the summer of 2024, but includes an option for an additional year. Milner is currently aiming to break Gareth Barry's record of 653 matches.
James Milner played in the midfield, full-back and winger positions, and is a graduate of the Leeds United academy. He participated with the youth teams under 16, 17, 19, 20 and 21 years old, and was promoted to the “Three Lions” team in 2009 and continued to play for them until 2016. He participated in 61 international matches and scored only one goal.