James Milner is loving life at Albion as he chases down Gareth Barry’s all-time Premier League appearance record.
Ex-England international Milner made his 633rd appearance in the competition during the Seagulls’ goalless draw with Wolves.
He has now moved clear of Ryan Giggs in second spot
The 38-year-old is 20 matches short of equalling the total of his former team-mate Barry but cannot match the record until next season as Albion have only 17 fixtures remaining this term.
Asked about emulating and then surpassing the feat, Milner told TNT Sports: “We’ll see. Game-wise, hopefully I’ve got a few more in me.
“With this group of lads I’m playing for now, a fantastic club as well, I’m enjoying my football and that’s the biggest thing, you’ve got to want to do it every day.”
Milner made his top-flight debut for hometown club Leeds in 2002 and has also represented Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool during an illustrious career.
He signed a one-year contract with Albion last summer, with the deal including the option for a further 12 months.
Asked about the key to his longevity, Milner replied: “I think a bit of luck, working hard and taking advantage of everything that you get, your opportunities in terms of how well we get looked after.
“You have to put the work in every day and I’ve been very fortunate to play for some amazing football clubs.”
Aside from the landmark appearance, Milner shared the frustration of Roberto De Zerbi after Albion were held to a fifth draw in their last seven league fixtures at the Amex.
The stalemate lifted the Seagulls into seventh place, above Manchester United on goal difference, and extended their unbeaten run at home to a club-record nine top-flight games.
Albion also registered a second successive clean sheet, having previously gone 23 league matches without one.
“It’s important and that will help us going forward,” said Milner. “The firepower we have up front, we normally get on the scoresheet.
“It’s disappointing not to get the win, but the clean sheets are really important and obviously we’d have had a few more points this season if we’d managed to keep a few clean sheets earlier in the season, but it’s good habits to get into.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel