Everton send sly dig to James Milner with social media post

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Anfield favourite James Milner now stands alone at the top of the Premier League’s appearance charts Image Credits: Imago Images Anfield favourite James Milner now stands alone at the top of the Premier League’s appearance charts, finally surpassing the long‑standing record once held by former Everton and Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry. The 40‑year‑old Brighton veteran moved clear with his 654th Premier League outing, starting in the Seagulls’ win over Brentford to edge past Barry’s tally of 653 games in the competition.

Yet there is a twist to the record that has been widely picked up: Milner has played roughly 14,000 fewer minutes than Barry, the equivalent of just over four full Premier League seasons, and has started far fewer games, racking up a competition‑record 217 substitute appearances compared to Barry’s 35. That context made Everton’s birthday post for Barry on X on Monday especially eye‑catching.

The club shared a graphic celebrating their former midfielder’s 45th birthday, emblazoned with “54,439 – most minutes played in Premier League history” and “618 – most starts in Premier League history”, alongside a big “Happy Birthday Gareth Barry” banner. Happy 45th birthday to former Everton midfielder Gareth Barry! 🎉🔵 pic.twitter.com/udEyxZUADe — Everton (@Everton) February 23, 2026 Coming just days after Milner took the appearances crown, plenty of fans interpreted the choice of stats as a cheeky reminder that, while the Brighton man has more games, Barry still owns the records that speak to sheer time on the pitch.