James Milner has been described as the "consummate professional" on BBC Radio 5 Live's The Commentators' View podcast, as he closes in on Gareth Barry's record for most appearances in the Premier League. If Milner features for Brighton against Crystal Palace on Sunday, he will reach 653, the same number Barry finished with when he retired in 2020. Speaking on the podcast, BBC senior football reporter Ian Dennis said: "I did spend a lot of time with him when I covered the England under-21s. He is the consummate professional." BBC commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball added: "The other thing when we're talking about being the consummate professional, 40 years old, he gets on for a minute or two at the end of that game [last weekend] and annoyingly when he's on, Everton equalise.

Source: BBC February 07, 2026 08:22 UTC