Many of the legendary figures of the Jurgen Klopp era at Liverpool have moved on to pastures new or retired by now.

The Reds had a hugely successful period under Klopp and, thanks to the manager’s genuine loyalty to his players, kept many of the squad around for an extended time.

One of the more underrated heroes of the last decade of football at Liverpool was James Milner, who vice-captained the Reds for eight seasons.

Milner may not have always been a starter throughout his time at Anfield, but the veteran midfielder kept standards high and was incredibly popular amongst his teammates and with Klopp.

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Indeed, before he left in 2023, Klopp had been keen to extend Milner’s contract, keeping him at the club for at least another season.

Ultimately, that did not happen and the former Man City man moved on to Brighton, where he has struggled with injuries.

But having signed a new deal over the summer, Milner will be with the Seagulls for at least the 2025/26 campaign, and he could yet break a very significant Premier League record at Anfield, of all places.

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Despite his veteran status, Milner was rarely injured for long periods at Liverpool.

Having played only 15 league games in his debut season at the Amex, Milner featured in just four Premier League matches last term.

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This has badly impacted the Yorkshireman’s bid to become the division’s all-time record appearance holder.

But Milner is fit now, and having come off the bench during Brighton’s draw against Fulham on Saturday, he is now 15 matches away from breaking Gareth Barry’s long-standing record.

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And, as fate would have it, Brighton’s 15th match from now happens to be against Liverpool at Anfield in December.

As a squad player for Fabian Hurzeler, there is no guarantee that Milner goes into that match with the chance of breaking the record.

It would be a fantastic occasion.

He may not have been the flashiest player of the Klopp era, but Milner will always be a Liverpool legend.

His passion, commitment and no-nonsense approach made him an instant favourite on the Kop.

So, whether he breaks the record and plays his 654th Premier League match at Anfield or not, he will get a heroes welcome this winter.

Another reason to love Milner arrived earlier this month, when he announced that he will be switching to Diogo Jota’s No.

20 for the season.

“Once I heard Carlos [Baleba] was looking to change his number and 20 was available, I wanted to do it as a mark of respect and to obviously pay tribute to Diogo Jota,” Milner told MyAlbion TV.

“He was an amazing player, who I was fortunate to play with, and he was a great friend as well.

It will be a great honour to wear his number in the Premier League this year.”