James Milner has announced his retirement from professional football aged 40.
In a career which began at Leeds aged 16, the midfielder played in a record-breaking 658 Premier League matches, overtaking Gareth Barry in February.
The Yorkshireman won the Premier League twice with Manchester City before lifting the title as well as the Champions League with Liverpool.
He also accumulated 61 England caps and played for Swindon, Newcastle, and Aston Villa before finishing his career with three seasons at Brighton.
He said on Instagram: ‘I leave the game with immense pride, gratitude and memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
‘Football has given me far more than I could ever have imagined, and I will always be thankful for the opportunities it provided.’
Milner’s contract with Brighton has expired but in February he said he was ‘pretty open’ to extending and manager Fabian Hurzeler hoped that he would stay on.
He was a decade into his career when he won his first Premier League title with Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City in 2011-12. He added another title under Manuel Pellegirini before moving to Liverpool in 2015–16 and becoming Jurgen Klopp’s vice-captain.
Milner added in his statement: ‘After 24 seasons in the Premier League, it feels like the right time to bring an end to my playing career.
Credit: dailymail.com
