Veteran midfielder James Milner (38, Brighton) rubbed shoulders with Manchester United (Manchester United) legend Ryan Giggs (51).

Milner started and played the full match in the 20th round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) at London Stadium in England on March 3, helping Brighton earn a point in a 0-0 draw.

The match marked Milner’s 632nd Premier League appearance of his career. This ties Giggs’ 24-year record for most league appearances.

Milner will now challenge Gareth Barry for the all-time record. Barry’s 653 appearances are the most in the category. After coming through the Brighton youth ranks, Barry made his debut for Aston Villa and went on to play for Manchester City and Everton before retiring from West Bromwich after the 2019-2020 season.

Milner, who made his debut for Leeds United in 2002, went on to play for Newcastle United (2004-2008), Aston Villa (2008-2010), and Man City (2010-2015) before blossoming at Liverpool (2015-2023).

After being a leader at Liverpool, 바카라사이트 Milner moved to Brighton ahead of this season after his contract expired . Milner now needs 21 games to reach Barry’s record.

For now, Milner is unlikely to surpass Barry’s record this season.

That”s because Brighton only have 18 games left to play. Milner, who is not far from retirement, needs one more season to surpass the record. Luckily, Brighton have a one-year option for Milner to extend his contract.

Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi, 45, hasn’t lost faith in Milner. “He’s a very useful player for us,” De Jervi told the BBC after the game, adding that he was “proud to have him in our team.”

“He’s improving,” he said. “He is improving, because he can play for 90 minutes with the same intensity and energy. We need him to reach our goals. We need him to reach our goals, so we have to fight to reach higher positions.”

Milner, who has 55 goals and 89 assists in his career, including two in 13 league games this season, will face Stoke City in the FA Cup round of 64 on July 7. Stoke City have Bae Joon-ho, who has been playing consistently and will be up against Milner.