James Milner announces retirement from football after marathon 24-year career

[p]The versatile midfielder started his career at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds[/a] before playing for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] and most recently [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a].[/p][p]During those spells, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/milner-james/QLY3kAEt/"]Milner[/a] won three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two EFL Cups and the Champions League.[/p][p][b]He made 658 appearances in the top flight, breaking the record that had been set by Gareth Barry during the 2025/26 season.[/b][/p][p]Internationally, Milner earned 61 caps for England between 2009 and 2016.[/p][embed guid="70282e9f-0797-4009-a8de-600ab46eddab" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2061365825743851845?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"After 24 seasons in the Premier League, it feels like the right time to bring an end to my playing career," [/b]Milner said in a statement on social media.[/p][p][b]"To the fans, thank you. To those who supported me every step of the way, your encouragement meant more than you'll ever know. And to those who gave me grief along the way, thank you too - you all played your part in making the journey memorable and helping shape me as a player and person.[/b][/p][p]"To my family, thank you for every sacrifice, every mile travelled and every moment of encouragement. None of this would have been possible without you.[/p][p][b]"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.[/b][/p][p][b]"Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey."[/b][/p]