James Milner has announced his retirement from football at the age of 40.
The Brighton midfielder, formerly a title winner with Liverpool and Manchester City, broke the record for most Premier League appearances of all time in February and ends his career with a total of 658, having played the last of his 24 seasons in the English top-flight.
“After 24 seasons in the Premier League, it feels like the right time to bring an end to my playing career,” Milner said in a statement on Instagram.
“From making my debut for Leeds, who I supported growing up, at the age of 16 and becoming the Premier League’s youngest scorer, I could never have dreamed of the journey I’ve been on, right through to not being able to lift my foot last year and then coming back to be part of Brighton qualifying for Europe for the second time in their history at the age of 40.”
More to follow.