Former Newcastle United, Man City and Liverpool star eyes major Premier League record after new deal confirmed

Former Newcastle United star James Milner is closing in on a Premier League record after putting pen-to-paper on a new one-year deal at Brighton and Hove Albion.

This summer marks the twentieth anniversary of Milner’s £3.6m move to St James Park as he became the latest addition to a Magpies squad containing the likes of Alan Shearer, Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer. Although he may not have hit the heights some expecting during his time on Tyneside, Milner has gone on to enjoy a stellar career in the Premier League.

After joining Aston Villa on a permanent deal in 2008 after he spent the 2005/06 season on loan at Villa Park, Miler made a surprise £26m switch to Manchester City two years later and started to add to what would become a significant trophy haul at the Etihad Stadium. During a five-year stay with City, Milner became a two-time Premier League champion as well as lifting the FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield.

The most successful spell of his career came during an eight-year stint at Liverpool as Milner became a key player under Jurgen Klopp and helped the Reds to a historic Premier League title win in 2020 just a year after they lifted the Champions League with a final win against Tottenham Hotspur. Milner also won the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup, World Club Cup and Community Shield before joining Brighton on a free transfer last summer.

After making 20 appearances in all competitions for the Seagulls, Milner has now extended his time at the Amex Stadium and is now just 19 appearances short of Gareth Barry, who played 653 times in the Premier League during his career.

After putting pen-to-paper on his new deal, Milner said: "I am as driven as I’ve ever been and I’m excited for next season. I really enjoyed the first half of this season as the club played in Europe for the first time, while the second half has personally been disappointing with a couple of injuries."