JAMES MILNER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM FOOTBALL

England International James Milner has announced his retirement from professional football, bringing an end to a remarkable 24-year Premier League career.

The 40-year-old leaves the game after a final spell with Brighton, where he made his 658^th Premier League appearance and helped the club qualify for Europe.

Milner represented six Premier League clubs, starting at Leeds, before later winning three league titles with Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as the Champions League in 2019 with the Reds.

Capped 61 times by England, Milner also holds a place among the Premier League’s most enduring figures, having broken the appearance record earlier this year.

He bows out after a career that began as a teenager at Leeds in 2002 and spanned more than two decades at the top level.