After a record-breaking career that spanned 24 seasons, James Milner has announced his retirement from professional football.
James Milner has decided to retire from the sport of football at the age of 40; Milner retires as the player with the most appearances in the history of the Premier League with 658 appearances; the former international player served Leeds United, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton in the top division
The ex-Liverpool midfielder went on to say, “Football has provided me much more than I ever thought, and I am eternally grateful for all the opportunities that were afforded to me in the sport.” He had been successful in winning the Premier League thrice with two wins at Manchester City and once at Liverpool, while he had also helped win the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup twice, UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
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“I have been blessed to have had many memorable experiences, from struggling to survive, winning trophies, playing in Europe and playing for my nation. However, nothing compares to the friendships I have formed during all this time spent in the beautiful game.
“Firstly, I would like to thank my family for every sacrifice made and for each kilometre travelled to reach where we are today. Without their support, none of this would have been possible.
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“I am leaving the game feeling proud and grateful for all of the experiences I had during my career, which will remain etched in my memory forever. The game of football has given me much more than what I could have hoped for.”
Milner’s Premier League career in stats
Milner played 48 times for his boyhood club Leeds, where he became, at the time, the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer, aged 16 years and 356 days, and second-youngest player. He is now third on the goalscorer list behind Max Dowman and James Vaughan.
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